Elementary Processes, Transport and Kinetics of Molecular Plasmas

Vibrationally resolved cross-sections have been obtained, in classical and semiclassical approximations, for electron impact induced dissociation, excitation, ionization of molecules and for dissociation and vibrational deactivation in atom–diatom collisions. The influence of atomic excited states on the transport properties of a hydrogen plasma in thermodynamic equilibrium has been investigated systematically. Finally, different approaches for the simulation of negative ion sources through the coupling of vibrational and electron kinetics are presented.