IONIZATION KINETICS AND IONIZATION WAVES IN NEON - 1. ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION AND IONIZATION KINETICS.

Expressions are derived for the electron distribution function in neon in a periodically modulated electric field. Two cases are considered, corresponding to the highest and lowest currents at which moving striations exist. At high currents, electron-electron collisions are dominant, and the distribution differs from a Maxwellian distribution only in the tail with energies higher than the first excitation potential. At low currents the distribution is not Maxwellian, and kinetic resonance effects are important. The values of the kinetic coefficients which are important for the propagation of ionization waves are discussed.