Recombination time for ionized atoms in a low pressure gas?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the recombination time for ionized CO atoms in a low-pressure gas environment, specifically at 1 nanoTorr. Participants explore the complexities involved in calculating how long it takes for the gas to return to neutrality after ionization by electrons.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the recombination time for ionized CO atoms after 1% of the gas is ionized by electrons.
  • Another participant notes the complexity of the algorithm required to calculate recombination time, emphasizing that it depends on pressure, species, and level of ionization.
  • A link to a resource is provided, suggesting it contains relevant information on the topic.
  • A participant expresses difficulty in finding resources and seeks further guidance on understanding the mean free path and root mean square velocity of atoms in relation to recombination time.
  • There is a suggestion that transition probabilities of atomic states may play a role in the recombination process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specific methods or formulas to calculate recombination time, indicating that multiple competing views and uncertainties remain in the discussion.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the dependence on various factors such as pressure and species, as well as the complexity of the calculations involved, which are not fully resolved within the thread.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in plasma physics, atomic interactions, and the dynamics of ionized gases, particularly in low-pressure environments.

jasonpatel
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I am looking into some new physics and had the following question come up:

You have a neutral gas of let's say, CO atoms at 1 nanoTorr. An electron(s) comes passing through the gas ionizing only 1% of the gas atoms. How long does it take for the gas to come back to neutrality? In other words, what is the recombination time? Any help or guidance of texts to read would be very helpful!
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I'm sorry you are not finding help at the moment. Is there any additional information you can share with us?
 
This is an extremely complex algorithm. You can find some tables in plasma physics books. It depends on the pressure, the species and level of ionization, at the minimum.

Eric
 
Hi guys, thanks for the advice/response.

Yes, I can imagine that is a very complicated physics involved. I tried looking it up on google and it was pretty unsuccessful. Do you guys have anything you an refer (no matter how complex)?

I am trying to develope a simple understanding for this:

Find the mean free path between atoms. Find v_rms of the atoms. Then I can find the recombination time. The thing that complicates this a bit more is the fact that the mean free path is between ANY atoms not necessarily two atoms that will allow recombination (a neg. and pos. ion).

Any ideas? Corrections? Lol at this point anything will be appreciated!
 
I suspect the transition probabilities of the states will be involved somehow.
I'm still learning how to use autostructure, but I think it can help you calculate it.
 
elegysix said:
I suspect the transition probabilities of the states will be involved somehow.
I'm still learning how to use autostructure, but I think it can help you calculate it.

That would great, any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

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