Comparison of computational collisional models in a drift tube

Summary form only given, as follows. Computational modeling is one of the principal tools for studying collisional plasma discharges, such as capacitive, inductive, and DC discharges. The optimal model depends upon the regime of operation, often characterized by the ratio E/N, where E is the electric field, and N is the number density. A number of electron-neutral collisional models are compared for a range of E/N values of interest in discharge modeling, including a particle-in-cell Monte-Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) code, a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code, and two Boltzmann codes employing different algorithms. The comparison explores differences in the reaction rates, which can strongly influence the behavior of the discharge. Due to the nonlinear nature of discharges, the study focuses on a drift tube with constant field and uniform background gas. Swarm data is gathered to obtain electron energy distribution functions, as well as moments including drift velocity and mean energy. In addition, rates are compared for elastic scattering, excitation and ionization processes in neon. Ion and space charge effects are neglected in this study.