Study of moving striations in plasmas. III. The fast type "r" and the determination of the ionization frequency dependence on the electron mean energy

Abstract

For ionization waves of small amplitude, the linearized equations of conservation for the particles and for the electron energy are applicable. A detailed study of these linearized equations reveals that the value of the ratio De/μe of the diffusion coefficient to the mobility for electrons and the derivative of the ionization frequency with respect to the electron mean energy αi′ may be determined from measurements of the phase difference between the variations of the electron temperature and the electron density in fast moving striations of the type "r". Some measurements are also reported and some values for De/μe and αi′ obtained.