SELF-CONSISTENT ELECTRON AND HEAVY-PARTICLE KINETICS IN A LOW-PRESSURE N-2-O-2 GLOW-DISCHARGE

A homogeneous kinetic model of a low-pressure N-2-O-2 positive column is developed. The model is based on the self-consistent solutions to t he electron Boltzmann equation coupled to the rate balance equations f or the vibrationally excited molecules N-2(X (1) Sigma(g)(+), v) and O -2(X (3) Sigma(g)(-), v'), the electronically excited states of N-2, a nd NO(X (2) Pi(r)), N(S-4) and O(P-3) species. Further, this set is st ill solved together with the continuity equations for the electrons an d the main positive ions (N-2(+), N-4(+), O+, O-2(+), NO+) in order to determine the maintenance reduced electric field. This formulation al lows us to determine the concentrations of the various neutral and ion ic species, the electron density and the vibrational temperatures, T-v (N-2) and T-v(O-2), as a function of the gas pressure, discharge curre nt, gas temperature, tube radius and fractional N-2:O-2 composition. T he calculated results are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with p ublished experimental data. The complex interplay kinetics is analysed in detail and the effects of the poor knowledge of some collisional a nd surface data on the results are discussed.