Numerical modeling of a He-N-2 capillary surface wave discharge at atmospheric pressure

A self-consistent steady-state spatially averaged collisional-radiative mod el in which the rate coefficients involving electrons are calculated from t he solution to the electron Boltzmann equation has been developed for descr ibing an atmospheric pressure plasma in helium-nitrogen (He-N-2) mixtures. The influence of small nitrogen concentrations (typically less than 1%) on the discharge characteristics is studied and compared,vith available experi mental data. It is Sound that nitrogen is highly dissociated and that the d ensity of metastable helium atoms is considerably reduced by the presence o f nitrogen, even at such low concentrations.