Electric Propulsion I - A.Y.

2010/2011 1
Equilibrium distribution in an electric eld
We have seen that in the absence of external forces the equilibrium distri-
bution for a collision-dominated plasma is Maxwellian, i.e. from Boltzmann
equation
f
M
t
=
df
M
dt

coll
= 0
the subscript M indicating a Maxwellian distribution. For conditions in
which external forces act but the plasma is still collision-dominated, it is a
common hypothesis that the equilibrium distribution is only sligthly mod-
ied with respect to the Maxwellian one, in that the external forces and
elds only enter the actual equilibrium distribution as a correction factor
to the Maxwellian distribution. Indeed the physical hypothesis of high-
collisionality of the plasma actually implies, from the mathematical stand-
point, that the dynamics of the distribution function in the phase space is
much more dependent on collisions than on other processes (such as plasma
motion and accelerations due to external elds), so that near equilibrium
df
dt

coll

df
M
dt

coll
0 .
The equilibrium distribution function can than be calculated by means of
the following equation:
dr
dt

r
f +
dv
dt

v
f = 0 .
Some dubts could arise about the fact that the previous equation is actu-
ally mathematically identical to the steady Vlasov equation, governing a
collisionless plasma, while it was derived from considerations based on the
high-collisionality hypothesis. The point is that, for example, a collisionless
plasma cannot be in equilibrium under the action of an external electric
eld, since non-interacting charged particles would accelerate without any
limit, and then even being analitycally plausible, a steady solution of Vlasov
equation would be physically incoherent.
Here we analize the case in which only an external electric eld E =

((x
1
)

)
x
1
e
1
is present. We assume

to be the electrical potential

value where the eects of the electric eld on the distribution function are
negligible and quasi-neutrality holds. f depends on the space coordinate
only through (x
1
), so that we can assume

x
2
=

x
3
= 0 and then
v
1
f
x
1

eZ
m
(

)
x
1
f
v
1
= 0
Z being the particle charge number. We can try to solve this equation by
separation of variables, i.e. we put
f = f
1
(x
1
, v
1
)f
2
(x
2
, v
2
)f
3
(x
3
, v
3
) .
Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli
Electric Propulsion I - A.Y. 2010/2011 2
Because of previous hypothesis we get
v
1
f
1
x
1

eZ
m
(

)
x
1
f
1
v
1
= 0 .
This equation too can be solved by separation of variables, by expressing
f
1
= F(v
1
)G(x
1
) and then
v
1
F(v
1
)
G(x
1
)
x
1

eZ
m
(

)
x
1
F(v
1
)
v
1
G(x
1
) = 0 .
or
1
mv
1
d ln(F)
dv
1
=
1
eZ
1
(

)
x
1
d ln(G)
dx
1
.
The l.h.s. term depends only on v
1
while the r.h.s. only on x
1
, then they
must be both equal to a constant, say B. Integration of the l.h.s. leads to
F(v
1
) = A
F
e
B
mv
2
1
2
A being an integration constant. Integration of the r.h.s. leads to
G(x
1
) = A
G
e
BeZ(

)
and then
f
1
= Ae
B

mv
2
1
2
+eZ(

Accordingly to what we have previously stated, the exponential term de-

pending on the local electric potential is the correction factor to the Maxwellian
distribution coming from the action of the electric eld, so that as

we must recover the Maxwellian distribution:

f
1
= n

_
m
2k
B
T
_
e

mv
2
1
2k
B
T
+eZ
(

)
k
B
T

Since along e
2
and e
3
the particles are not inuenced by the electric eld, we
expect the equilibrium distribution to be Maxwellian along these directions,
i.e.
f
2
=

_
m
2k
B
T
_
e
mv
2
2
2k
B
T
f
3
=

_
m
2k
B
T
_
e
mv
2
3
2k
B
T
and then the equilibrium distribution can be written as
f = n

_
m
2k
B
T
_
3/2
e

m(v
2
1
+v
2
2
+v
2
3
)
2k
B
T
+
eZ(

)
k
B
T

.
Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli
Electric Propulsion I - A.Y. 2010/2011 3
The particle number density in the presence of an electric eld can then be
calculated:
n = n

eZ(

)
k
B
T
.
Previous equation is named Boltzmann distribution.
Debye shielding (immobile ions)
We want to nd how a point charge Q in a plasma is shielded by other
charged particles. Consider only singly ionized and immobile ions. Electrons
are assumed to be Boltzmann distributed, i.e.
n
e
= n
e
e
e(

)
k
B
T
where at =

because of quasineutrality n
e
= n
i
= n

. We can then
write down Poissons equation in spherical coordinates:
1
r
2

r
_
r
2

r
_
=
e n

0
_
1 e
e(

)
k
B
T
_
.
Lets put
=
e
k
B
T
, x =
r

D
where the Debye length
D
=
_

0
k
B
T
n

e
2
was introduced, by which we get
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
=
_
1 e

_
.
To simplify calculations, we suppose now that 1, so that we can linearize
the exponential terms:
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
= [1 (1 +)] = .
Since we do expect the electric potential to diverge near the point charge, the
previous hypothesis can only be valid at a certain distance from the charge,
but it is still useful to estimate the shielding eect of electric charges in a
plasma. The linearized equation admits a solution of the type
= K
e
x
x
and as for r 0 we must recover the Coulomb potential of an isolated point
charge, i.e.
Q
4
0
r
, we get
=
Qe
4
0

D
k
B
T
e
x
x
.
Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli
Electric Propulsion I - A.Y. 2010/2011 4
Excercise 1
Examine the Debye shielding in case of a fully ionized plasma, with only
singly ionized, Boltzmann-distributed ions.
Solution
The only dierence with respect to previous calculation is the expression of
ion number density, which is no more a constant:
n
1
= n
i
e

e(

)
k
B
T
.
Performing the same substitutions as before, we get
1
r
2

r
_
r
2

r
_
=
e n

0
_
e

e(

)
k
B
T
e
e(

)
k
B
T
_
and by the usual linearization
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
= [(1 ) (1 +)] = 2 .
whose solution, with proper boundary conditions, is
=
Qe
4
0

D
k
B
T
e

2x
x
.
Excercise 2
Examine the Debye shielding in case of a partially ionized plasma, with only
singly ionized, Boltzmann-distributed ions.
Solution
Where the plasma is not aected by the electric eld, quasi-neutrality holds,
i.e. n
e
= n
1
. The ionization fraction there is given by
=
n
e
n
0
+n
1
n
0
= (1 )n
e
and from the denition of plasma pressure we get
p = (n
0
+n
1
+n
e
)k
B
T n
0
=
p
k
B
T
2n
e
and then
n
e
= n
1
=

+ 1
p
k
B
T
=

+ 1
n

Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli

Electric Propulsion I - A.Y. 2010/2011 5
With usual normalizations we get
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
=

+ 1
_
e

_
and with the hypothesis 1
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
=
2
+ 1

whose solution is, in analogy to previous calculations,

=
Qe
4
0

D
k
B
T
e

2
+1
x
x
.
As expected, as 1 we recover the solution of the exercise above, while
as 0 we recover the expression of the Coulomb electric potential, since
in this case there are no free charged particles to shield the isolated point
charge.
Excercise 3
Examine the Debye shielding in case of a fully ionized plasma in thermal
equilibrium, with singly ionized, doubly ionized ions, and electrons. Assume
that all particles are Boltzmann-distributed.
Solution
As before we have to relate all the dierent particle number densities where
quasi-neutrality holds. From the denition of plasma pressure we get
p = (n
1
+n
2
+n
e
)k
B
T n
1
=
p
k
B
T
n
2
n
e
. (1)
From the denition of ionization degree, and by substitution of previous
result, we get:
=
n
e
n
1
+n
2
n
1
=
n
e

n
2
n
e
=

+ 1
p
k
B
T
.
From the quasi-neutrality condition it follows that
n
2
=
1
2
(n
e
n
1
) =
1
2
_

+ 1
p
k
B
T
n
1
_
(2)
and then again by substitution into eq.(1) we get
n
1
=
2
+ 1
p
k
B
T
Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli
Electric Propulsion I - A.Y. 2010/2011 6
by means of which also the number density of doubly ionized ions can be
found:
n
2
=
1
+ 1
p
k
B
T
.
If we set n

=
p
k
B
T
, by performing the same normalizations as in previous
calculations we get the following Poissons equation:
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
=
_
2
1
+ 1
e
2
+
2
+ 1
e

+ 1
e

_
which under the usual hypothesis 1 becomes
1
x
2

x
_
x
2

x
_
=
_
2
1
+ 1
(1 2) +
2
+ 1
(1 )

+ 1
(1 +)
_
=
_
4 + 4
+ 1
+
2 +
+ 1


+ 1
_

=
4 2
+ 1

whose solution is
=
Qe
4
0

D
k
B
T
e

42
+1
x
x
.
Note that as we have assumed the plasma to be fully ionized 1; moreover
the maximum of is achieved when all ions are doubly ionized and = 2.
This implies that the multiplication factor of x in exponential term varies
between 1 and 2.
Considerations
All previous calculations show that Debye shielding is a fundamental phe-
nomenon of plasmas and is practically independent from the particular
plasma state, as could be inferred by the fact that the multiplication factors
in the exponential term of the dierent solutions previously calculated is
always in the order of unity, i.e. all isolated charged particles are shielded
across a distance which is always in the order of the Debye length. This can
be further pointed out by writing Poissons equation as

2
D
r
2

r
_
r
2

r
_
=
_

i
Z
i
n
i
()
n

n
e
()
n

_
which is a boundary-layer type equation, since the highest-order derivative
is multiplied by a small factor. This kind of dierential equations are always
characterized by strong variations of the solutions across a very narrow range
of the independent variable.
Prof. M. Andrenucci Teach. Assist. S. Giannelli