Abstract
In this paper, the authors have investigated the physics of various processes relevant to the reduction of electron density in a plasma by addition of water droplets; two processes have in particular been analyzed in some detail, viz, the electron attachment to charged dielectric droplets and the emission of negative ions by vaporization from these droplets. The results of these analyses have been applied to a study of the kinetics of reduction of electron density and charging of droplets in an initially overionized plasma, after addition of water droplets. A number of simplifying assumptions including uniform size and charge on droplets and negligible change in the radius of the droplet due to evaporation have been made. Heat transfer between the droplets and the plasma has been neglected. It has also been assumed that the Debye radius is much greater than the radius of the droplets, which limits the treatment to droplets having radii, less than one micron (for electron densities of the order of 1018m−3.).
The authors have also studied the reduction of electron density by the suspension of water droplets in an equilibrium plasma. The investigation is purely theoretical in nature; considerable experimental work is necessary to validate the theoretical considerations.
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Sodha, M.S., Evans, J.S. Reduction of electron density in a plasma by injection of liquids. Appl. Sci. Res. 29, 380–398 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384160
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384160