Time Dependent and Steady-State Solutions of the Electron Energy Distribution in a Weakly Ionized Gas Subject to an AC or DC Electric Field

摘要

The thesis develops a computer code capable of yielding time dependent and steady-state solutions for the electron energy distribution of a weakly ionized gas subject to an external AC or DC electric field. Analytic steady-state solutions for a gas exhibiting no inelastic electron collisional cross sections are derived. Development of a Boltzmann code is described and the results of the code are compared to the analytic steady-state solutions. With the inclusion of inelastic collisions a comparison with previous results for nitrogen is described. It is found that the developed code is capable of yielding the time dependent and steady-state electron energy distribution for a weakly ionized gas. Recommendations for continued research in this area are offered. Originator-supplied keywords include: plasma, weakly ionized gas, electric field strength, electron energy distribution, and collisional Boltzmann equation.