Physics
Scientific paper
Jun 1988
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1988jgr....93.5871l&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 93, June 1, 1988, p. 5871-5878.
Physics
11
Ion Production Rates, Ionization Cross Sections, Magnetohydrodynamic Waves, Plasma-Particle Interactions, Collisional Plasmas, Electron Impact
Scientific paper
Despite the possible fast formation of a hot electron tail distribution due to plasma-wave interaction, ionization in Alfven's critical ionization velocity (CIV) process has to come from electron impact ionization. Excited states may play an important role in this process. By solving coupled rate equations numerically, the time evolution of ionization in a CIV process is examined, and it is found that metastable states of some of the gases contribute substantially to the rapidity of the process. The metastable states serve the function of storing energy from collisions between low-energy electrons and ground state neutrals. Subsequent collisions between the metastable states with low-energy electrons lead to pooling of the energy, such that ionization can occur rapidly. Competing processes are evaluated for their effect in quenching CIV.
Lai Shu
McNeil William J.
Murad Edmond
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