Numerical calculations for the electron energy distribution in a helium, hollow-cathode glow discharge

An electron energy distribution is determined with the Monte Carlo method in a helium, hollow-cathode glow discharge. Electron-electron collisions are taken into account, as well as electron collisions with atoms. In the negative glow, a plateau-like profile is obtained in the low-energy region; the profile approximates a Maxwellian distribution in this energy range. The energy distribution decreases rapidly at about the minimum excitation energy of the atom. In the center of the negative glow, the low-energy electrons are five orders of magnitude as many as the high-energy electrons, which have enough energy to excite or ionize atoms