Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-27T13:27:44.792Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Kinetic theory for a short-wavelength lasing plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

Daniel M. Heffernan  and
Richard L. Liboff
Daniel M. Heffernan
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Richard L. Liboff
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A kinetic analysis is made of a reacting plasma dominated by three-body recombination and ionization, together with collisional and radiative excitation and de-excitation of atomic states. The plasma includes excited atoms, ions, electrons and photons. The kinetic theory yields rate equations for these species, together with explicit expressions for relevant rate coefficients. In the limit of spatial homogeneity and assuming atom and electron densities are close to equilibrium, an explicit form is obtained for the radiation absorption coefficient per unit length. A criterion is then constructed for population inversion. Application to a helium-like active medium (e.g. Al+11) and hydrogen-like passive medium (e.g. A1+12), at electron temperature of 300 eV, reveals that population inversion ensues at electron densities in excess of 1020 cm−3. Algebraic solution of atomic state rate equations demonstrates that the absorption coefficient grows insensitive to photon-atom interactions with increasing electron density.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 27 , Issue 3 , June 1982 , pp. 473 - 489
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allen, C. W. 1963 Astrophysical Quantities (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Bates, D., Kingston, A. & McWhirter, R. 1962 Proc. Roy. Soc. A 267, 297.Google Scholar
Bethe, H. & Salpeter, E. 1957 Quantum Mechanics of One- and Two-Electron Atoms. Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhagavatula, V. & Yaakobi, B. 1978 Optics Comm. 24, 331.Google Scholar
Drawin, H. 1962 Z. Physik, 168, 238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drawin, H. 1969 Z. Physik, 225, 470, 483.Google Scholar
Jpmes, W. & Ali, A. 1975 Appi. Phys. Lett. 26, 450.Google Scholar
Krook, M., Bhatnager, P. L. & Gross, E. 1954 Phys. Rev. 94, 511.Google Scholar
Landau, L. D. & Lifshitz, E. M. 1958 Statistical Physics. Pergamon.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L. 1979 Introduction to the Theory of Kinetic Equations. Kreiger.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L. 1980 Introductory Quantum Mechanics. Holden-Day.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L. & Caroff, L. J. 1967 Phys. Fluids, 10, 1492.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L. & Caroff, L. J. 1970 J. Plasma Phys. 4, 83.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L., Dorchak, E. J. & Yaakobi, B. 1979 Acta Phys. Slov. 29, 295.Google Scholar
Liboff, R. L. & Perona, G. E. 1967 J. Math. Phys. 8, 2001.Google Scholar
McWhirter, R. W. P. & Hearn, A. G. 1963 Proc. Phys. Soc. 82, 641.Google Scholar
Park, C. 1979 J. Quant. Spectrose. Bad. Tranef. 22, 101.Google Scholar
Rostoker, N. & Rosenbluth, M. N. 1960 Phys. Fluids, 3, 1.Google Scholar
Sampson, D. H. 1965 Radiative Contributions to Energy and Momentum Transport in a Gas. Interscience.Google Scholar
Seaton, M. J. 1962 Atomic and Molecular Processes (ed. Bates, D. R.), p. 375. Academic.Google Scholar
Waynant, R. W. & Elton, R. C. 1976 Proc. IEEE, 64, 1059.Google Scholar
Zel'dovich, Ya. B. & Raizer, Yu. P. 1966 Physics of Shock Waves and High Temperature Phenomena. Academic.Google Scholar