COMPUTER-SIMULATION OF ENCLOSED INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA DISCHARGES.2. MOLECULAR GASES

The thermodynamic and fluid flow fields within hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen enclosed inductively coupled plasma (EICP) discharges are calcu lated using a novel computer simulation, Nitrogen and oxygen discharge s give easily convergent results and are more stable than a hydrogen d ischarge calculation, The maximum calculated plasma temperatures in 70 0 W, 40 MHz EICP discharges are 10 500 K for hydrogen, 10 200 K for ox ygen, 8300 K for argon and 6500 K for nitrogen, The corresponding maxi mum axial velocities are 48 m s(-1) for hydrogen, 9.2 m s(-1) for oxyg en, 1.2 m s(-1) for argon and 0.36 m s(-1) for nitrogen, The hydrogen discharge simulation exhibits higher temperature and velocity gradient s than oxygen, argon or nitrogen.