Unified Electron Temperature Characteristics in Positive Columns with Including the Ionization of Metastable Atoms

Abstract

The electron temperature with including the ionization effect of metastable atoms was calculated by a unified theory in the cylindrical positive column. Since the number of metastable atoms and the ionization of metastable atoms are dependent on not only the electron temperature but the plasma electron density, the electron temperature Characteristics versus the pressure × the tube radius are also varied with the plasma density. For example, the calculations were carried out for Ne and He plasmas, which results may be available for a study of the He–Ne laser plasmas.