Model for electronic relaxation in plasma jets for mixtures Ar-O-2

A simple collisional-radiative model is applied to plasma jet expansions in the case of Ar-O-2 mixtures in order to calculate the population densities of the electronic states of the neutral atomic species Ar and . Are includ ed in the calculation: the direct excitation and de-excitation of Ar and O by electron collisions, excitation transfers between heavy species (Ar-Ar, Ar-O, Ar-O-2, O-O-2, and O-O collisions), and spontaneous radiative decay o f Ar and O atoms. The results are compared with the experimental data obtai ned by three different experiments.