Effect of Elastic Collisions on the Ion Distribution Function in Parent Gas Discharge Plasma

Abstract

An analytical solution is obtained for the Boltzmann kinetic equation for ions in the plasma of its gas with allowance for the processes of resonant charge exchange and elastic ion scattering on the atom. The cross section of differential elastic scattering was assumed to be isotropic in the system of the mass center, and the resonant charge exchange process is independent of the elastic scattering. It is shown that the ion velocity distribution function is determined by two parameters and differs significantly from the Maxwellian one. The allowance for elastic scattering with these assumptions leads to a change in the ion angular distribution and also to a decrease in the average ion energy due to the transfer of part of the ion energy to atoms upon elastic collisions. The calculated values of the drift velocity, the average energy, and the coefficient of transverse diffusion of He⁺ ions in He, Ar⁺ ions in Ar are compared with the known experimental data and the results of Monte Carlo calculations; they show good agreement.