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.