Analysis of the Boltzmann low- and medium-energy equation in particle-beam-sustained molecular or atomic plasma discharges. Application to O2

The paper is the third of three papers on the kinetics of particle-beam-generated molecular plasmas. The author completes the kinetic investigation by an analysis of the Boltzmann low- and medium-energy equation available for any stationary particle-beam-generated molecular (or atomic) plasma, including all inelastic processes. Use of this analysis together with the moment conservation equations provides a means to obtain analytically the electron density and 'temperature' in the plasma. Theoretical results are compared with experimental parameters measured in O2 by Pointu and Zeller (1986) Orsay, with gun jet electrons, and orders of magnitude are in good agreement when diffusion is taken into account.