Calculation of Glow Discharge Parameters in a Supersonic Axisymmetric Helium Flow

The parameters of a glow discharge in helium with a nonuniform distribution of the density of neutral particles along the discharge gap have been calculated for a one-dimensional axisymmetric geometry. This formulation of the problem corresponds to the condition of generating a discharge between a Laval nozzle with a central body, which is the anode, and a ring cathode located coaxially to the central body at low pressures. In this case, a supersonic gas flow is generated through the Laval nozzle, which creates an increased gas pressure near the central body (anode), and high vacuum is maintained outside the supersonic jet. Thus, the internal structure of this discharge will depend on the density of gas particles in different regions of the interelectrode space. It has been established that this method of organizing a glow discharge in a supersonic gas flow makes it possible to control the spatial distribution of the internal characteristics of the discharge.