Surface electrons at plasma walls

TL;DR

This paper presents a microscopic model of surplus electrons at plasma walls, analyzing electron distribution, trapping, and charge effects on light scattering for improved plasma-wall interaction understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed microscopic model for electron behavior at plasma walls, including surface trapping and charge measurement techniques, expanding beyond classical plasma sheath descriptions.

Findings

Calculated electron surface layer distributions

Determined sticking coefficients and desorption times

Explored charge signatures for dust grain measurement

Abstract

In this chapter we introduce a microscopic modelling of the surplus electrons on the plasma wall which complements the classical description of the plasma sheath. First we introduce a model for the electron surface layer to study the quasistationary electron distribution and the potential at an unbiased plasma wall. Then we calculate sticking coefficients and desorption times for electron trapping in the image states. Finally we study how surplus electrons affect light scattering and how charge signatures offer the possibility of a novel charge measurement for dust grains.