HR: 0800h
AN: AE31A-0041    [Abstracts]
TI: Electron Distribution Functions in Gas Mixtures Relevant to Planetary Atmospheres
AU: * Colman, J J
EM: jonah@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS D401, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States
AU: Roussel-Dupré, R
EM: rroussel-dupre@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS D401, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States
AU: Symbalisty, E M
EM: esymbalisty@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS D401, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States
AB: A kinetic solution to the Boltzmann equation for electrons will be presented. Electron distribution functions will be calculated over a range of 0.1 eV – 50 MeV for gas mixtures containing molecular nitrogen, molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, and methane subject to an applied electric field. Results for each gas individually, and gas mixtures where available, will be benchmarked against ‘Swarm' experiments published in the literature. Drift velocity and characteristic energy as well as attachment and ionization rates will be considered. Additional results for gas mixtures relevant to planetary atmospheres will be presented. In light of these distribution functions the characteristics of runaway and conventional breakdown in various planetary atmospheres will be discussed as well as their implications for the possible emission of gamma rays and optical photons from these events.
DE: 0343 Planetary atmospheres (5210, 5405, 5704)
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 5405 Atmospheres (0343, 1060)
DE: 5704 Atmospheres (0343, 1060)
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting