Eur. Phys. J. D (2014) 68: 206
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-50111-x

Regular Article

Numerical investigation of the threshold intensity dependence on gas pressure in the breakdown of xenon by different laser wavelengths

¹ National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, El Giza, Egypt
² Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
³ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Al-madinah Al-monawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

^a e-mail: hameideg@yahoo.com

Received: 9 February 2014
Received in final form: 9 April 2014
Published online: 29 July 2014

Abstract

We report a theoretical analysis of the measurements that carried out to study the breakdown of xenon gas over a wide pressure range induced by laser source operating at different wavelengths. The study provided an investigation of the effect of laser wavelength as well as gas pressure on the physical processes associated with this phenomenon. To this aim a modified electron cascade model is applied. The model based on the numerical solution of the time dependent Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) simultaneously with a set of rate equations which describe the rate of change of the formed excited states population. Comparison between the calculated and measured threshold intensities for the experimentally tested laser wavelengths and gas pressure range is obtained. Furthermore computations of the EEDF and its parameters showed the actual correlation between the gain and loss processes which determine the threshold breakdown intensity of xenon and the two experimentally tested parameters; laser wavelength and gas pressure.