Analysis of the Relaxation of Wall Electrons in a Plasma

Abstract

Abstract A procedure is developed which renders the simultaneous description of angular and energy relaxation of wall electrons in a plasma possible. The plasma is assumed to be field free, allowance is made for elastic and inelastic collisions with neutrals, as well as for electron-electron encounters. The procedure is based on an expansion in terms of the eigenfunctions of a suitable part of the kinetic equation. In the zeroth order, the problem is reduced to a boundary value problem of the Sturm type, and subsequent solution of a singular integral equation by standard technique. To account for the rest of the kinetic equation, we construct a Green′s function which forms the basis for an iteration process. The application of the procedure is illustrated with an example.