First principles calculation of the effect of Coulomb collisions in partially ionized gases
Abstract
Coulomb collisions, at appreciable ratios (η) of the electron to the neutral particle density, influence significantly the electron kinetics in particle swarms and in plasmas of gas discharges. This paper introduces a combination of Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques, to provide a novel, approximation free, first principles calculation method for the velocity distribution function of electrons, and related swarm characteristics, at arbitrary η. Simulation results are presented for electrons in argon gas, for density ratios between zero and 0.1, representing the limits of a negligible electron density and an almost complete Maxwellization of the velocity distribution function, respectively.
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