Dust in plasmas: Microscopic and macroscopic modeling of particulate-contaminated glow discharges
Glow discharges are often contaminated by particulates resulting from gas phase nucleation or sputtering of surfaces in contact with the plasma. If these particulates are sufficiently large, they will negatively charge and act as coulomb-like scattering centers for electrons. When this occurs, rate coefficients for high-threshold processes such as ionization may be reduced compared to those in pristine plasmas. If the contamination is nonuniform, then the resulting spatial irregularities in the rates of excitation may lead to plasma properties which are also nonuniform.
Engineering, Electronics and Electrical, Physics, Fluid and Plasma
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign