International Journal of Physics | Vol. 17, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 137–144
DOI: 10.46882/2026/IJP/000206
Research Article
Title: Kinetic Swarm Parameters and Electron Diffusivity Metrics in Non-Equilibrium Nitrous Oxide Discharges
Names of Authors: D. L. Santos¹, A. R. Novak², O. H. Takahashi³
Authors’ Affiliations:
¹ Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
² Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
³ Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Abstract: Plasma-assisted gas conversion offers a promising technological pathway for carbon capture and the synthesis of green fuels. This study presents a self-consistent kinetic model analyzing electron transport properties and electron-impact dissociation rates in non-equilibrium nitrous oxide (N₂O) plasmas. We solved the electron Boltzmann equation using the two-term approximation across a wide range of reduced electric fields (E/N) from 1.0 Td to 500.0 Td (1.0 Td = 10⁻¹⁷ V-cm²). The cross-section dataset included elastic momentum transfer, rotational, vibrational excitation, dissociative attachment, and direct ionization processes. Our modeling results show that at low reduced electric fields (E/N less than 30.0 Td), over 75.0% of the total electron energy is funneled directly into exciting asymmetric vibrational states. These excited states are essential for driving efficient dissociation via stepwise vibrational ladder climbing. The rate coefficient for dissociative electron attachment peaked at a value of 2.4 x 10⁻¹¹ cm³/s at an E/N value of 85.0 Td. This matches the electron energy threshold where the dissociative cross-section is maximized. We validated our numerical simulations by comparing calculated electron drift velocities and longitudinal diffusion coefficients with independent swarm experimental measurements, achieving an overall variance within ±6.0%. These kinetic coefficients provide essential input data for optimizing industrial gliding arc and dielectric barrier discharge reactors for high-throughput recycling.
Keywords: Gas conversion; Boltzmann equation; Electron transport; Cross-section; Plasma kinetics; Dissociative attachment
Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 18, 2026 / Revised: July 20, 2026 / Accepted: August 05, 2026 / Published: August 28, 2026
Citation: Santos, D. L., Novak, A. R., & Takahashi, O. H. (2026). Kinetic Swarm Parameters and Electron Diffusivity Metrics in Non-Equilibrium Nitrous Oxide Discharges. International Journal of Physics, 17(8), 137–144.
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