Experimental and theoretical investigations of DC glow discharges in argon-nitrogen mixtures

Abstract

Ar-N2 mixture positive columns of direct current glow discharges are experimentally and theoretically investigated. The electron energy distribution function of the column, which has a great deviation from the Maxwellian, is affected by the amount of N2. The N2 and Ar metastable species densities estimated from the rate equations are inversely proportional to N2 content. There is a large discrepancy between experimental and theoretical electron energy distribution functions, especially for N2 positive columns. The value of pR obtained experimentally is predicted from the measured electron energy distribution function, where p is the gas pressure and R the tube radius.