Numerical simulation of the two-dimensional structure of glow discharge in molecular nitrogen in light of vibrational kinetics

Abstract

A two-dimensional computer model of glow discharge in molecular nitrogen in axisymmetric geometry is presented. The glow discharge structure is described within the diffusion-drift model, while the kinetic parameters of the model used are calculated from the solution to the kinetic Boltzmann equation. Calculations of the energy accumulated on the electronically and vibrationally excited levels of molecules and the effectiveness of electron energy conversion to the Joule heat are performed. In the context of state-to-state kinetics of anharmonic oscillators, populations of vibrational levels of molecular nitrogen are calculated.