Relaxation of the electron temperature in an inert-gas afterglow plasma at elevated pressures

Abstract

The relaxation of the electron temperature Te in helium and neon afterglow at elevated pressures is studied theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that the processes in which fast electrons are produced are accompanied by the heating of thermal electrons. The high-energy part of the electron energy distribution function is studied in the intermediate regime (between the local and nonlocal regimes) of its formation. It is shown that, in this case, the calculated effective energy transferred from the fast electrons to the thermal electrons depends substantially on the wall potential of the discharge tube. Comparison of these calculations with experiments testifies to the reliability of the probe technique for measuring Te in an afterglow at elevated pressures.