Electron and heavy-particle kinetics in the low pressure oxygen positive column

Abstract

A kinetic model for the low-pressure oxygen positive column is presented and discussed. The model is based on the electron Boltzmann equation and the rate balance equations for the dominant heavy-particle species, which are solved simultaneously in order to take into account the coupling between the electron and the heavy-particle kinetics. The effects of vibrationally excited molecules, dissociated atoms and metastable states on the electron kinetics are analysed in detail. The predicted populations of O2(X3 Sigma ), O2(a1 Delta ), O(3P), and O- are shown to agree satisfactorily with previously reported measurements. A combination of this kinetic model with the continuity and transport equations for the charged species e, O-, and O2+ is shown to provide characteristics for the maintenance field that agree reasonably well with experiment.