Contribution to the evaluation of diffusion coefficients in plasmas containing argon and fluorine

Abstract

The theoretical values of the numerical evaluation of the electron and ion diffusion coefficients in plasmas from mixtures of argon and fluorine are presented. The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients for low-pressure (from 0.1 to 1.0 kPa) and low-temperature (from 500 to 5000 K) argon plasmas with 20% and 30% of added fluorine are investigated. These values are results of the applications of the specific numerical model to the evaluation plasma composition and transport coefficients in argon plasma with fluorine as additive. It is assumed that the system is kept under constant pressure and that a corresponding state of local thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE) is attained. Since the LTE can be assumed, a Maxwellian electron distribution function will be adopted. The hypothesis of LTE, which is commonly used in most of the numerical evaluations, is analysed with the modified Debye radius .The binary electron and ion diffusion coefficients are calculated with the equilibrium plasma composition and with the collision frequencies. Strictly speaking, Maxwellian distribution function (in the state LTE) is not valid for low pressure, but in this case with the aid of the modified Debye radius, a Maxwellian is assumed correctly. It is shown that the electron diffusion coefficients are about four orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding overall diffusion coefficients of ions. Both diffusion coefficients are lower in argon plasma with 30% than with 20% of fluorine additives, in the whole temperature range examined.