Particle dynamics and current-free double layers in an expanding, collisionless, two-electron-population plasma

Abstract

The expansion of a two-electron-population, collisionless plasma into vacuum is investigated experimentally. Detailed in situ measurements of plasma density, plasma potential, electric field, and particle distribution functions are performed. At the source, the electron population consists of a high-density, cold (kTe≂4 eV) Maxwellian, and a sparse, energetic ( (1)/(2) mv2e≂80 eV) tail. During the expansion of plasma, space-charge effects self-consistently produce an ambipolar electric field whose amplitude is controlled by the energy of tail electrons. The ambipolar electric field accelerates a small number (∼1%) of ions to streaming energies which exceed and scale linearly with the energy of tail electrons. As the expansion proceeds, the energetic tail electrons electrostatically trap the colder Maxwellian electrons and prevent them from reaching the expansion front. A potential double layer develops at the position of the cold electron front. Upstream of the double layer both electron populations exist; but downstream, only the tail electrons do. Hence, the expansion front is dominated by retarded tail electrons. Initially, the double layer propagates away from the source with a speed approximately equal to the ion sound speed in the cold electron population. The propagation speed is independent of the tail electron energy. At later times, the propagating double layer slows down and eventually stagnates. The final position and amplitude of the double layer are controlled by the relative densities of the two electron populations in the source. The steady-state double layer persists till the end of the discharge (Δt≂1 msec), much longer than the ion transit time through the device (t≂150 μsec). On the low-potential side, the double layer generates a monoenergetic, neutralized ion beam with no stationary background plasma. The field-aligned double layer contains no trapped or counter-streaming ions, and is current free; i.e., the relative electron–ion drift is zero.