Physics
Scientific paper
Apr 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990jgr....95.4039p&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 95, April 1, 1990, p. 4039-4055. Research supported by USAF.
Physics
10
Collisional Plasmas, Earth Orbital Environments, Ion Production Rates, Plasma-Particle Interactions, Charge Exchange, Computerized Simulation, Electron Energy, Particle Collisions
Scientific paper
Plasma production in a gas release from a body moving in low earth orbit may occur via Alfven's critical ionization velocity process. The effects of the collisional processes of charge exchange and elastic collisions in neutrals with ions and electrons are examined by numerical simulations of a plasma with a beam of fast neutral molecules. The rate of electron heating via plasma interactions increases as the fraction of ions in the fast beam increases. This increased heating results from ambient charge exchange collisions increasing the fraction of beam ions. When the initial beam fraction is 0.5, the number of ionizations and excitations is shown to go through a maximum as the neutral number density increases. The initial increase results from shorter collision times for the fast electrons, and the later decrease results from elastic collisions that disrupt the electron heating.
Hastings Daniel E.
Person James C.
Petschek Harry
Resendes David
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