Low-pressure pulsed plasmas are widely used in various technological applications. Understanding of the phenomena taking place in afterglow phase of the discharge makes possible the optimization of the operation conditions and improvement of the technical parameters. At low pressure the electron component of the plasma determines the main features of the discharge since its behavior dominates all other plasma properties. We study the electron kinetics in a low-pressure afterglow plasma of an inductively coupled discharge by means of a self-consistent model which uses the nonlocal kinetic approach. The main features of the model are given. Special attention is paid to determination of the steady state of the discharge from which the decay of the plasma begins. Emphasis is also put on the description of the collisional interaction between the electrons and gas. Results of theoretical investigations for argon at a pressure of $2–4\mathrm{Pa}$ are presented. Calculated temporal evolutions of the isotropic part of the electron velocity distribution function, electron density, mean electron energy, and wall potential are discussed in comparison with experimental data.

• Received 10 January 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.73.056402