Modeling and Simulation of Magnetically Confined Low-Pressure Plasmas in Two Dimensions

A hybrid electron fluid—particle ion model of a cylindrical axisymmetric discharge with conducting walls and a uniform axial magnetic field has been developed. The chamber is 30 cm in length and 15 cm in diameter. Power is deposited into electrons with a uniform axial profile and two model radial profiles: Uniform power per electron (“flat”), and power per electron varying as the square of a J0 Bessel function (“peaked”). The major results of this study are that it is possible to treat two-dimensional systems with very small Debye length to system chamber length scale ratios, and that the radial power deposition profile appears to have a marked effect on the nature of the plasma profiles, including the ion flux profiles.