Plasmas and Electric Discharges

AAE59000

Credit Hours:

3

Learning Objective:

To gain knowledge of basic processes in low-temperature weakly ionized plasmas and their properties, as well as of fundamental properties of DC, RF, corona, and spark electric discharges in gases.

Description:

This is an introductory course on weakly ionized plasmas and electric discharges. Some modern applications include plasma flow control, plasma-assisted combustion, plasma-tunable RF systems, and materials processing; however, the course focuses on fundamentals, i.e. on understanding the physics and the ability to do simple estimates, rather than on applications. Major topics include: elementary processes in plasmas; motion of charged particles in electric and electromagnetic fields; electron energy and it relation to ionization and de-ionization processes; electrical breakdown; nonequilibrium electric discharges; survey of selected applications.

Topics Covered:

Elementary collisional processes in plasmas. Motion of charged particles in electric and electromagnetic fields. Electron energy in plasmas. Ionization and de-ionization processes. Townsend and streamer electric breakdown. Microwave and laser induced breakdown. Glow discharge. Capacitively-coupled RF discharges. Corona and spark discharges. Survey of selected applications.

Prerequisites:

Students are expected to have basic knowledge of electricity and magnetism and the sophomore/junior level and some familiarity with thermodynamics and/or physics of gases. Knowledge of probability theory and statistical thermodynamics is helpful but not required.

Applied / Theory:

10 / 90

Web Address:

https://mycourses.purdue.edu/.

Web Content:

Syllabus, Lecture Notes, Homework

Homework:

8 to 10 homework assignments.

Exams:

Take-home (24 hrs) midterm exam and take-home (24 hrs) final exam.

Textbooks:

1. Yu.P. Raizer, Gas Discharge Physics, Springer, 1991 or 1997, ISBN 978-3-642-64760-4. ??? Recommended
2. A. Fridman and L. Kennedy, Plasma Physics and Engineering, 2nd edition, CRC Press, 2011, ISBN 9781439812280. - Recommended
3. M.A. Lieberman and A. Lichtenberg, Fundamentals of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing, 2nd edition, Wiley, 2005, ISBN 978-0-471-72001-0. - Recommended

Computer Requirements:

Proed minimum requirements

ProEd Minimum Requirements:

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