Self-consistent model for the characterisation of plasma ignition by propagation of an electromagnetic wave to be used for plasma antennas design

Abstract

The knowledge of plasma conductivity as a function of gas parameters and of the applied field intensity is the main problem for the characterisation of plasma in view of its use in several applications, in particular as a conductive medium to realise antennas. To this end, a self-consistent model of the gas ionisation by an electromagnetic field is developed. The model completely characterises the propagation of an intense electromagnetic field in a weakly ionised plasma slab and allows the time and space evolution of the electron distribution function (EDF) to be determined: this quantity is evaluated by solving the Boltzmann equation together with the Maxwell curl equations. The knowledge of the EDF allows the complete determination of the plasma state and the characterisation of all the macroscopic parameters involved in the problem, such as the electron density and the plasma conductivity. A parametric investigation is also presented: with the implemented model, it is possible to describe how the plasma state is affected by the variation of the gas pressure and the frequency and the power delivered from the electromagnetic field.