Ionization and Ion Transport (Second Edition)

Gas discharges and non-equilibrium low-temperature plasmas form the basis for most plasma technologies. These ionized gases are extremely reactive and can be used for applications as diverse as medical therapeutics and fertilizer production to improving the efficiency of aircraft and manufacturing of electronic devices.

This book introduces engineering and science students to the basic underlying physics and chemistry concepts that form the foundation of non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma science and engineering. It is an accessible primer directed primarily at those students who, like the general public, are unaware what a plasma or gas discharge is nor have fundamental backgrounds in statistical thermodynamics, gas dynamics, fluid dynamics, or solid-state physics to effectively understand many plasma and gas discharge principles. It will help the reader develop a basic foundation of the essential principles of plasmas so that they are positioned to delve more deeply into plasma science and engineering as a research area and career.

The second edition covers additional topics such as gas breakdown leading to plasma initiation and the formation of sheaths, and discusses these within the context of a basic description of the most common plasma type, a dc glow discharge.

This text is suitable for upper level undergraduate students, graduate students, and young researchers in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering with interest in plasma science and engineering.