Kinetic characteristics of production and loss of hydrogen atoms in the positive column of a glow discharge in an Ar-H-2 mixture

The production rates and concentration of atoms, the rate constants of thei r heterogeneous loss, and some electrophysical characteristics of the plasm a are measured in the positive column of a direct-current discharge at a pr essure P-g = 200 Pa and a discharge current I-dis = 50 mA. Based on these d ata, a simultaneous solution of the Boltzmann equation and equations of the vibration kinetics for H-2(X(1)Sigma(g)) and chemical kinetics has shown t hat vibrationally excited molecules have little effect (both direct and ind irect, via the energy distribution function of electrons) on the processes involving electrons. The analysis of the dissociation processes revealed th at, along with the disintegration of the electron states excited by an elec tron impact from H-2(X(1)Sigma(g)), the production of H atoms is strongly d ependent on the reactions of H-2 molecules with excited argon and hydrogen atoms. The loss of atoms is caused by heterogeneous recombination proceedin g according to the first kinetic order with respect to their concentration.