An electron attachment plasma instability

A new type of plasma instability is described in an electron-beam ionized discharge. This instability occurs in gas mixtures in which the dissociative attachment rate increases strongly with electric field. It has been observed experimentally in He:H2O 740:20 and in He:CO2 1:1 and 9:1 mixtures. The values of the ionization source function S and of the electric field E at which the wave instability occurs are predicted using a Fourier analysis of the linearized kinetic rate equations. This yields the condition for instability as S < (1/α)[Eδβ/δE) − β]2, where α is the electron-ion recombination coefficient and β is the electron neutral attachment rate.