Fluid model of the collisional positive column in electronegative gases: transition from detachment dominated to recombination dominated

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Abstract
The equations for the positive column of electronegative gas discharges in which the processes of ionization, attachment, detachment and recombination are occurring and when the motion of charged particles is determined by mobility and diffusion, are solved computationally. Limitations are found for the variables, in that the ion recombination rate/ionization rate has an upper bound which depends on N0 the central negative ion/electron density ratio, and the ratio of the electron-ion recombination rate to the ion-ion recombination rate, also the attachment rate has an upper bound which is a function of the detachment rate and N0. Furthermore all three loss rates are related by a simple algebraic expression involving N0 and τ where τ is the ratio of the ion temperature to the electron temperature. Results of computations are given for the particle distributions and the transition from detachment dominated to recombination dominated is mapped out.