AMPEX-P: small molecules ab initio energy transfer in plasmas

Abstract

Plasma phenomena in non-equilibrium conditions are currently actively studied due to their wide use in technological applications, such as plasma etching, plasma deposition, material plasma treatment, gas lasers, negative and positive ion-beam sources. Modelling is very helpful in the study of plasma [1], because of its ability to reveal details impossible or very difficult to access in the experimental approach. Low gas temperature plasma phenomena in non-equilibrium conditions are theoretically studied by means of coupled kinetic Boltzmann transport equations (BTE) for the different components of the plasma system: electrons, ions, atoms and molecules. To solve BTE, deterministic (state-to-state molecular dynamics) and stochastic methods such as DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) and PIC (Particle-in- Cell) are the different approaches used. Both are based on the knowledge of particle-particle interaction potentials or cross sections for collisional events in bulk and on boundaries.