A theoretical investigation of the cathode fall in a neon glow discharge

A theoretical analysis of the cathode fall experiments of Doughty and co-workers [Phys. Lett. A 103, 41 (1984); Appl. Phys. Lett. 46, 352 (1985)] is presented, based on a Monte Carlo simulation of the electrons in the discharge. The nonlocal aspects of the electron kinetics (i.e., the average energy and the ionization coefficient) are emphasized and the connection is made with the work of Davies and Evans [J. Phys. D 13, L161 (1980)]. Further examples of the electron kinetics are the light output in the negative glow and the electron energy distribution at the anode. The ion kinetics concentrate on the ion drift velocity and the molecular ion (Ne+2) formation.