Monte Carlo simulation study of the scaling of electron transport parameters in crossed dc electric and magnetic fields

A Monte Carlo computational experiment is used to study the scaling of elec tron swarm parameters in crossed direct current electric and magnetic field s in argon and methane. The ranges of reduced electric and magnetic fields investigated are 28-2830 Td and 10 G/Torr-10000 G/Torr, respectively. Signi ficant deviation from classical scaling is observed and characterized. For very high magnetic fields, some swarm parameters (mean energy and total col lision frequency) become insensitive to the magnetic field variations. In a ddition, when swarm parameters are characterized in terms of their mean ele ctron energy, for some ranges of mean electron energy, the correlation betw een a parameter and the reduced magnetic field strength can disappear. The impact of these results is discussed in terms of controlling the plasma che mistry via the magnetic field. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S00 21-8979(99)04304-2].