Diffusion modeling of an HF argon plasma discharge in a magnetic field

Using the basic moment equations (number density, how density, and energy d ensity) for singly ionized argon and for electrons, a simple diffusion equa tion (essentially one proposed by Lieberman and Lichtenberg) is adopted (by comparison with experiment), together with an integrated power balance equ ation. The effects of scaling magnetic field and radius are then discussed first for simple cylinders, for which there are known analytic diffusion so lutions. For specific cases having the more complicated geometry of two abu tting coaxial cylinders with considerably different radii, the numerical re sults are well approximated and delimited by considering only the wider cyl inder for low magnetic field, and at high magnetic field, where end effects dominate, using the total length and the smallest diameter of the system.