Molecular-dynamics simulation of electron-ion recombination in a nonequilibrium, weakly ionized plasma

Electron-ion recombination in a weakly ionized molecular gas has been studied by the application of molecular-dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Plasma screening effects have been investigated for electron densities exceeding ${10}^{13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$. Screening can reduce the recombination rate coefficient $\alpha$ by as much as one half, for $n_e={10}^{15}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$, before $\alpha$ increase again with $n_e$ due to electron-stabilized three-body collisional radiative recombination. In a plasma with an applied electric field, $\alpha$ is found to decrease approximately proportional to ${\left(\frac{E}{N}\right)}^{-1\mathrm{}}$ for $\frac{E}{N}$ greater than a threshold value.