Collision frequencies and energy transfer ions

Abstract

An investigation has been made of ion collision frequencies and energy transfer for conditions of gaseous thermal nonequilibrium. Following the methods of a development devoted to electron collisions, the problems of ion-neutral and ion-ion elastic collisions have been considered under the assumption of separate Maxwellian velocity distributions. Expressions for the nonequilibrium momentum transfer cross sections, collision frequencies, and energy transfer rates are given for neutral gases on the basis of a polarization potential and for ions on the basis of the Coulomb interaction. Next, the problem of ion-neutral resonance charge exchange is introduced in its effect upon collision cross sections and ion energy transfer rates. An analysis is made of gathered laboratory data to arrive at suitable expressions for the resonance charge exchange and momentum transfer cross sections for H +, O +, He +, N 2 +, and O 2 +. Using these results, resonance charge exchange and momentum transfer collision frequencies are derived. The resonance ion-neutral energy transfer rates are then presented and compared with expressions used in previous studies of ion temperatures.