V. I. Sysun, V. S. Ignakhin, “Refinement of the 3/2 power law and radial drift theory of the ion current to a small probe or a dust particle in a rarified plasma”, Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, 2012, Volume 82, Issue 7,Pages <nobr>60

This article is cited in 4 papers

Gas Discharges, Plasmas

Refinement of the 3/2 power law and radial drift theory of the ion current to a small probe or a dust particle in a rarified plasma

V. I. Sysun, V. S. Ignakhin

Petrozavodsk State University

Abstract: The ion current to a probe or a dust particle in a rarified plasma is considered in terms of the plasma sheath theory and the radial drift theory. The effect of the initial directed velocity of ions entering the sheath in accordance with the Bohm criterion on the current-voltage characteristic of the space charge sheath is studied. Computations based on both theories are performed for the extended range of the relative values of probes (0.0001–20.0)$r_p/\lambda_D$, where $r_p$ is the size of the probe and $\lambda_D$ is the electron Debye radius. The two theories are compared in the entire design range of the sizes of probes. Analytical approximations are given for practical application of the results.

Received: 17.08.2011