Electron mobility in mixtures of optically excited sodium vapor, molecular nitrogen and heavy inert gases

Abstract

A study is made of the processes of formation of a nonequilibrium electron energy distribution in mixtures of sodium, molecular nitrogen, and heavy inert gases. It is shown that in these mixtures, a local maximum on the electron energy distribution, can form in the energy range corresponding to the Raumsauer minimum in the elastic cross section for inert gases. The question is discussed of whether the electron mobility can become negative during the resonant optical excitation of the 3S-3P transition in sodium. The electron distribution function is calculated parametrically to determine the critical plasma parameters for which negative electron mobility can be observed in experiments, specifically, the composition of the mixture, the concentration of resonantly excited sodium atoms, the temperature corresponding to the distribution of vibrationally excited molecules, the degree of ionization and the electric field strength.