Gaseous Electronics: Theory and Practice

The research on gaseous electronics reaches back more than 100 years. With the growing importance of gas lasers in so many research and industrial applications as well as power systems generating, transmitting, and distributing huge blocks of electrical power, the body of literature on cross sections, drift and diffusion, and ionization phenomena continues to bloom. Searching through this vast expanse of data is a daunting and time-consuming task. With this in mind, eminent researcher Gorur Govinda Raju presents an authoritative survey of the ballooning literature on gaseous electrical discharge. Gaseous Electronics: Theory and Practice begins with an overview of the physics underlying the collisions involved in discharge, scattering, ion mobilities, and the various cross-sections and relations between them. A discussion follows on experimental techniques used to measure collision cross-sections, covering the techniques related to the data presented in later chapters. In an unprecedented collection of data and analysis, the author supplies comprehensive cross-sections for rare gases such as Argon, Helium, Krypton, and Xenon; various diatomics; and complex molecules and industrial gases including hydrocarbons. He further includes discussions and analyses on drift and diffusion of electrons, ionization coefficients, attachment coefficients, high-voltage phenomena, and high-frequency discharges. Based on more than 40 years of experience in the field, Gaseous Electronics: Theory and Practice places a comprehensive collection of data together with theory and modern practice in a single, concise reference.

Table of Contents:
Collision Fundamentals Coordinate Systems Meaning of Velocity Space Maxwell’s Distribution Function Mean Free Path Particle Collisions Potential Functions for Particle Interactions Quantum Mechanical Approach to Scattering References Experimental Methods Total Collision Cross Sections Differential Cross Sections Ionization Cross Section Total Excitation Cross Section Attachment Cross Section Concluding Remarks References Data on Cross Sections—I. Rare Gases Argon Helium Krypton Neon Xenon Concluding Remarks References Data on Cross Sections—II. Diatomic Gases Carbon Monoxide (CO) Molecular Hydrogen (H2) Molecular Nitrogen Molecular Oxygen (O2) Nitric Oxide (NO) Closing Remarks References Data on Cross Sections—III. Industrial Gases Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Hydrocarbon Gases CxHy Mercury Vapor Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Ozone (O3) Silane (SiH4) Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Water Vapor (H2O) Plasma Processing Gases Other Gases Concluding Remarks References Drift and Diffusion of Electrons—I Definitions Drift and Diffusion Measurement Electron Energy Distribution Approximate Methods Data on Drift and Diffusion References Drift and Diffusion of Electrons—II: Complex Molecules Current Pulse due to Avalanche Arrival Time Spectrum Method Hydrocarbon Gases Nitrogen Compounds Plasma Industrial Gases Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Water Vapor (H2O and D2O) Miscellaneous Gases Concluding Remarks References Ionization Coefficients—I: Non-Electron-Attaching Gases Discharge Development Current Growth in Uniform Fields Functional dependence of α/N on E/N Space Charge Effects Breakdown in Uniform Fields Multiplication in Non-Uniform Fields Recombination Data on Ionization Coefficients Molecular Gases (Non-Attaching) Other Gases (Non-Attaching) References Ionization and Attachment Coefficients—II: Electron-Attaching Gases Attachment Processes Current Growth in Attaching Gases Ionization and Attachment Coefficients Concluding Remarks References High Voltage Phenomena Types of Voltage High Direct Voltage Generation High Alternating Voltage Generation High Impulse Voltage Generation Ionization in Alternating Fields Sparking Voltages References Ionization in E x B Fields List of Symbols Brief Historical Note Electron Motion in Vacuum in E x B Fields Effective Reduced Electric Field (EREF) Experimental Setup Ionization Coefficients Experimental Data Secondary Ionization Coefficient Sparking Potentials Time Lags in E x B Crossed Fields Computational Methods Effective Collision Frequency Concluding Remarks References High Frequency Discharges Basic Plasma Phenomena Debye Length Bohm Sheath Model Plasma Frequency Plasma Conductivity Ambipolar Diffusion RF Plasma Power Absorbed Microwave Breakdown Laser Breakdown Concluding Remark References Appendices Index