Particles in Plasmas: Electron Transport Coefficients and Discharge Stability

中低压等离子体和电气体放电被用于各种重要的技术应用(例如，等离子体处理、气体激光器、等离子体开关)。这些等离子体的气体环境不可避免地受到来自电极、壁面和气相化学反应的粉尘和颗粒物的污染。在这项研究计划中，将开发一个第一性原理计算机模型来描述等离子体性质的扰动和粒子物质引发的等离子体不稳定性。开发该模型的目的是预测中低压辉光放电(1 Atm)中粒子的存在引起的电子传输系数的变化以及弧光和流光的形成；并根据粒子的大小、类型和分布设定此类放电的操作容限。这项研究的结果将为长寿命气体放电装置的设计者提供一种新的能力，用来预测和修正他们的装置在必须运行的非原始环境中的性能。这里发展的计算技术也将直接适用于预测电极上不均匀形成流光的开始。

Moderate and low pressure plasmas and electrical gas discharges are used in a variety of technologically important applications (e.g., plasma processing, gas lasers, plasma switches). The gaseous environments of these plasmas are unavoidably contaminated with dust and particulate matter originating from electrodes, walls, and gas phase chemical reactions. In this research program, a first principles computer model will be developed to describe the perturbation of plasma properties and the initiation of plasma instabilities by particulate matter. The goals of developing the model are to predict the change in electron transport coefficients and the formation of arcs and streamers resulting from the presence of particulates in moderate to low pressure glow discharges ( 1 atm); and to set operational limits on the tolerance of such discharges to the size, type, and distribution of particles. The results of this study will provide a new capability to the designers of long lived gas discharge devices with which to predict and correct the performance of their devices in the non-pristine environments in which they must operate. The computational techniques developed here will also be directly applicable to predicting the onset of streamer formation from non-uniformities on electrodes.