Ion velocity distribution functions in argon and helium discharges: detailed comparison of numerical simulation results and experimental data

Abstract

Using Monte Carlo Collisions (MCC) method, we have performed simulations of\nion velocity distribution functions (IVDF) taking into account both elastic\ncollisions and charge exchange collisions of ions with atoms in uniform\nelectric fields for argon and helium background gases. The simulation results\nare verified by comparison with the experiment data of the ion drift velocities\nand the ion transverse diffusion coefficients in argon and helium. The recently\npublished experimental data for the first seven coefficients of the Legendre\npolynomial expansion of the ion energy and angular distribution functions are\nused to validate simulation results for IVDF. Good agreements between measured\nand simulated IVDFs show that the developed simulation model can be used for\naccurate calculations of IVDFs.\n