Plasma properties and atomic processes at medium and high pressures

H. Drawin

When the state of a plasma deviates from local thermodynamic equilibrium (L.T.E.) the equilibrium relations cannot be applied. The thermodynamic properties must then be described on the basis of models in which the individual atomic properties and elementary reactions intervene. The first part of the paper gives a schematic description of a plasma suffering power input, power losses and external constraints in the form of initial and boundary conditions. The rate equations for particle density, momentum and energy of open systems are summarized, including nuclear reactions. The second part gives a review of the progress made in understanding the properties of special types of non-L.T.E. plasmas such as glow discharge plasmas, negative ion plasmas (with application to the physics of SF6 circuit-breakers) and Tokamak plasmas on the basis of these rate equations.

Domaines: Articles anciens

H. Drawin. Plasma properties and atomic processes at medium and high pressures. Journal de Physique Colloques, 1979, 40 (C7), pp.C7-149-C7-170. ⟨10.1051/jphyscol:19797437⟩. ⟨jpa-00219440⟩