Magnetic field control of low pressure diffuse discharges

The application of a magnetic field in a direction transverse to the electric field in a diffuse discharge cam have a strong effect on the transport parameters in the discharge medium and on the external characteristics of the discharge as a whole. The deviations in these transport parameters have been investigated in this work by means of Monte Carlo calculations and the electrical characteristics of the total discharge have been observed experimentally. The results of the theoretical investigation show that in attaching gas mixtures both the ionization and attachment rate coefficients in the positive column of the discharge are changed such that the combined effect results in an increase in resistivity. Monte Carlo calculations performed by other researchers indicate that a transverse magnetic field could have an even stronger effect on the electron energy distribution in the cathode fall region and consequently on the cathode fall voltage. Experimentally, it is seen that application of a crossed magnetic field to an abnormal glow discharge in attaching gases in a certain parameter range causes the discharge voltage to increase significantly. The effect seems to be most strongly influenced by processes in the cathode fall region.