Transitions and scaling laws for electronegative discharge models

The equilibrium of electronegative discharges is studied in the plane-paral lel approximation over a wide range of pressures and electron densities, en compassing a number of regimes that have previously been modeled analytical ly. The transitions between the various regimes (models) have been determin ed in the input parameter space. It is shown that for a given feedstock gas , these transitions can be found in terms of the two input parameters pl(p) and n(e0)l(p), where p is the pressure, n(e0) the electron density, and l( p) the system half-length. Here n(e0) is used as a convenient input related to the power, and the conversion from electron power to n(e0) is given. Th e input parameter space is partitioned by whether ion flux to the wall or p ositive-negative ion recombination is the dominant positive ion loss mechan ism. For each of the principal regimes, scaling laws are developed for the most important plasma parameters in terms of the input parameters.