Non-equilibrium between electrons and field in a gas breakdown ionising wave. I. Macroscopic model

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Abstract
The authors propose a macroscopic model for gas breakdown ionising waves based on a consistent hydrodynamic system of equations describing the spatio-temporal evolution of particle density, momentum and energy. They apply this model to investigate the properties of the electron shock zone situated at the head of a discharge channel, so that it can in particular predict the non-equilibrium electron temperature as distinguished from the static equilibrium electron temperature. The temperature dependence of macroscopic coefficients can be predicted from the available electron transport and ionisation data. Their previous analysis (1980) of the role of the photoionisation in a gas discharge is extended to the case of fast electron shock waves by taking into account the finite lifetime of the molecular excited states. This shows that the gas photoionisation process cannot have an important role in fast breakdown waves except at low gas pressures. Finally, this study analyses the different possible causes of a non-equilibrium electron energy.

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