Axial Structure of the Field Intensity in Diffusion-Controlled Surface-Wave Produced Plasmas

Surface-wave gas discharges sustained under the conditions of a diffusion controlled regime are studied on the basis of the fluid plasma model. The self-consistent behaviour of the plasma density and of the field intensity along the discharge length is obtained. It is shown that the nonlinearity in the particle balance equation due to stepwise ionisation determines the plasma density in terms of the field intensity and ensures self-consistent behaviour of the wave ? discharge characteristics in a diffusion controlled regime.