Eur. Phys. J. D 57, 77-85 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2010-00012-1

On the application of the theory of Lorentzian plasma to calculation of transport properties of multicomponent arc plasmas

¹ Institute for Nuclear Research, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
² Paton Welding Institute, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
³ RWTH Aachen University, ISF – Welding and Joining Institute, 52062 Aachen, Germany

Corresponding author: poryts@kinr.kiev.ua

Received: 21 September 2009
Revised: 23 October 2009
Published online: 26 January 2010

Abstract

The application of the Lorentzian plasma theory for the calculation of the properties of multicomponent electric arc plasma is considered. It is shown that this model gives satisfactory results in the temperature range, which is corresponding to the weakly ionized arc plasma and arc plasma with dominant first ionization. The calculations are provided for the arc plasmas of noble gases and their mixtures between them and also that with metals. It is also pointed that the discrepancy between the electron temperature and gas temperature can be significant even at relatively weak electric fields, that fact must be taken into account under the simulation of arc discharges.