Ionization and Electronic State Excitation of CO<inf>2</inf> in Radio-frequency Electric Field

Abstract

The rate coefficients for the electron impact ionization and electronic state excitation of the CO2 molecule are calculated in non-equilibrium conditions in the presence of time-dependent electric field. A Monte Carlo simulation has been employed in order to determine non-equilibrium electron energy distribution functions in the CO2 gas, within one period of time-dependent radio-frequency (RF) electric field. By using the distribution functions, ionization rate coefficients for the CO2 molecule have been obtained within one period in RF frequency range at effective reduced electric field up to 500 Td. All obtained rate coefficients have been period averaged, as they can be of use in practical applications in the modeling of RF discharges in CO2.