Abstract
The electron energy distribution (EED) in the positive column of the glow discharge is changed its shape by collision mechanisms between electrons and neutral atoms, for example elastic, excitation and ionization collisions.
We calculated EED corresponding to various combinations of those collision cross sections by using a Boltzmann equation method.
We added the collision terms concerned with metastable atoms to the Boltzmann equation, and investigated the relationship between collision mechanisms and the transformations of EED.
Moreover, we measured EED in the positive column of He glow discharge under the condition of 0.5-2.5Torr, 5-35mA by using the second harmonic method.
This is one of Langmuir probe methods. These measured EED was also compared with calculated one.
As a result, we estimated the validity of the present collision cross sections and the effect of collision mechanisms on the variation of EED.
This study is useful to inspect a collision mechanism and make a plasma model in practical positive column of the glow discharge.
