METHOD OF INVESTIGATION OF THE ELECTRON VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN PLASMA AND MATERIAL SURFACE

Within the frame of the Lorentz approximation, a method is proposed fo r investigation of the velocity electron distribution function (EDF), which makes it possible to obtain the velocity EDF, allowing for both the plasma inhomogeneity and its possible strong deformations at the b oundary. The method is based on the use of transformation of variables , whereby it is possible to reduce the sought kinetic equation to the equation that formally coincides with the radiation transfer equation. Obtained solutions make it possible to formulate sufficiently rigorou s boundary conditions for electrons at the plasma/surface interface an d to estimate the influence of fast electrons on plasma processes.