KINETICS OF METASTABLE STATES IN HIGH-PRESSURE NITROGEN PLASMA PUMPEDBY HIGH-CURRENT ELECTRON-BEAM

An effective method for calculating the electron energy distribution f unction in a plasma pumped by an electron beam is suggested. The elect ron impact excitation rates of different N2 and Hg states are obtained . The evolution of populations of the N2 excited states and of the Hg radiative states in a N2-Hg mixture is considered. The characteristic time tau(e) of equilibrium establishment is shown to be strongly depen dent on the pressure of the mixture. The variation of the N2(A3SIGMA) population is found to be determined by the dynamics of the Hg emissio n if the measurement time is longer than tau(e).