The Influence of the Gas‐Temperature on the Behaviour of the Positive Column of a Neon Glow Discharge and its Description by a Nonlinear Equivalent Circuit

Abstract

The concentration of metastable atoms can significantly be influenced by changing the gas temperature [I]. Starting from a set of balance equations, consisting of the balance equation for the electrons, the balance equation for excited atoms and the current balance equation the impedance behaviour is calculated in dependence on the gas temperature. Based on a theoretical description of the discharge plasma a nonlinear equivalent circuit representing the behaviour of the positive column at higher gas-temperatures (250 K-500 K) is developed. The circuit posseses only positive parameters for the reactances which can be calculated by means of the elementary processes occuring in the discharge plasma. Experimental investigations of the static current/voltage characteristic and the impedance behaviour support the proposed circuit model. Symbols... A,, coefficients of the set of nonlinear differential equations containing the plasma parameters collision rates direct ionization stepwise ionization of excited atoms by collision with electrons stepwise ionization by collision of exited atoms production of metastable atoms change of s,-atoms in s,-atoms by collision change of s,-atoms in s,-atoms by collision loss of metastable atoms by collision with electrons total excitation. concentration of electrons concentration of metastable atoms concentration of atoms Concentration of resonance atoms current axial electric field strength elementary charge radius of the tube mobility of electrons production rate of particles i life time of the species i natural life time of the s,-level of the neon atom resonance wavelength of the s,-level of the neon atom