The electron energy distribution function in a microwave discharge
at the
electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) condition is studied using a two-dimensional
Fokker–Planck equation in the bounce-averaged approach. Our
model takes into account the effects of linearized Coulomb collisions,
electron
cyclotron resonance heating in the quasilinear approximation, the effects
of
ionization and excitation of atoms, elastic scattering of electrons on
atoms, and
the self-consistent ambipolar potential. The plasma is considered to be
slightly
collisional, so that bounce averaging is valid. We perform a numerical
investigation of the Fokker–Planck equation and obtain the dependences
of
the discharge characteristics on the parameters of the model, such as breakdown
threshold values of neutral density, and the dependence of the electron
density,
temperature and ambipolar potential on the parameters of the ECR wave and
gas density. Some results are compared with experimental data.