Experimental observation and simulation of the equilibration of electron swarms in a scanning drift tube

Donkó, Z and Hartmann, P and Korolov, I and Jeges, V and Bošnjaković, D and Dujko, S (2019) Experimental observation and simulation of the equilibration of electron swarms in a scanning drift tube. Plasma Sources Science and Technology, 28 (9). 095007. ISSN 1361-6595

Preview

Text 2019_Donko_PSST.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

We investigate the spatially and temporally resolved electron kinetics in a homogeneous electric field in argon gas, in the vicinity of an emitting boundary. This (transient) region, where the electron swarm exhibits non-equilibrium character with energy gain and loss processes taking place at separate positions (in space and time), is monitored experimentally in a scanning drift tube apparatus. Depending on the strength of the reduced electric field we observe the equilibration of the swarm over different length scales, beyond which the energy gain and loss mechanism becomes locally balanced and transport properties become spatially invariant. The evolution of the electron swarm in the experimental apparatus is also described by Monte Carlo simulations, of which the results are in good agreement with the experimental observations, over the domains of the reduced electric field and the gas pressure covered.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item