HYBRID MONTE-CARLO FLUID MODEL OF A DIRECT-CURRENT GLOW-DISCHARGE

A self-consistent hybrid Monte Carlo-fluid model for a direct current glow discharge is presented. The Monte Carlo part simulates the fast e lectrons while the fluid part describes the ions and slow electrons. T ypical results of the model include collision rates of the fast electr ons, energy distributions of these electrons, fluxes and densities of the different plasma species, the electric field and the potential dis tribution, all as a function of position from the cathode. The influen ce of the negative glow on the calculations in the cathode dark space is studied. Moreover the influence of three-dimensional scattering ins tead of forward scattering and the incorporation of side wall effects is investigated. Calculations are carried out for a range of voltages and pressures in order to study their influence on the calculated quan tities. Comparison was made between total electrical currents calculat ed in the model and experimentally measured ones to check the validity of the model. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.