Asymptotic solutions for a symmetric plasma under ionization nonequilibrium

Abstract

Leading-order solutions for electron and ion density, electron and ion velocity, and electric potential have been obtained in a planar, symmetric geometry for the case of a dense, low-temperature plasma bounded by perfectly absorbing walls. The solutions are obtained in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions. These solutions are shown to reduce to those previously obtained for the case of a semi-infinite plasma when the appropriate transformations are applied. The solutions are also shown to reduce to the well-known solutions from linear diffusion theory, in terms of circular functions, when the linear source approximation is made. The solutions are evaluated and discussed for a representative thermal plasma where the influence of explicitly accounting for recombination is illustrated.