Analytical Study of The Effect of Loss Processes on Laser Induced Breakdown in Argon Gas

In the present work, a modification of a previously developed electron cascade model is presented. More than one electronic state is incorporated in the model as well as various loss processes. Thus, new inelastic process such as photo ionization and electron impact ionization of the electronic excited state of the argon atom are considered. Moreover, loss processes which may act to deplete the number of electron such as electron diffusion; three body recombination and dissociate recombination are taken into account. All these processes are incorporated into the time-dependent Boltzmann equation which is solved numerically simultaneously with set of rate equations for both the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and the excited state population respectively.