Monte Carlo simulation of a microwave plasma in hydrogen

Monte Carlo simulations of a microwave plasma (frequency 2.45 GHz, pressure 2-15 kPa) in hydrogen are reported. The simulation follows the chaotic motion of a number of electrons and ions under the influence of outer (microwave) and inner (other charge carriers) electric fields. The charge carriers collide with the neutral gas particles either in an elastic or inelastic manner. In such a simulation only basic physical laws have to be applied. The simulations produce reaction rates for the different reaction paths of main importance in a straightforward way. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF), which is simply a time average of the actual energies of the electrons, deviates from the Maxwell distribution by a depletion at low and high electron energies. Correction functions are derived which allow EEDFs under widely different plasma conditions to be calculated from the respective Maxwell distributions. Finally the results are applied to calculate mean mass densities in a closed plasma tube which are then compared with measured values.