A hydrocarbon reaction model for low temperature hydrogen plasmas and an application to the Joint European Torus

Abstract

A model of collisional processes of hydrocarbons in hydrogen plasmas has been developed to aid in computer modeling efforts relevant to plasma–surface interactions. It includes 16 molecules (CH up to CH4, C2H to C2H6, and C3H to C3H6) and four reaction types (electron impact ionization/dissociative ionization, electron impact dissociation, proton impact charge exchange, and dissociative recombination). Experimental reaction rates or cross sections have been compiled, and estimates have been made for cases where these are not available. The proton impact charge exchange reaction rates are calculated from a theoretical model using molecular polarizabilities. Dissociative recombination rates are described by the equation A/TB where parameter A is fit using polarizabilities and B is estimated from known reaction rates. The electron impact ionization and dissociation cross sections are fit to known graphs using four parameters: threshold energy, maximum value of the cross section, energy at the maximum, and a constant for the exponential decay as energy increases. The model has recently been used in an analysis of the Joint European Torus [P. H. Rebut, R. J. Bickerton, and B. E. Keen, Nucl. Fusion 25, 1011 (1985)] MARK II carbon inner divertor using the WBC Monte Carlo impurity transport code. The updated version of WBC, which includes the full set of hydrocarbon reactions, helps to explain an observed asymmetry in carbon deposition near the divertor.