KINETICS OF IONIZATION RECOMBINATION PROCESSES IN NONIDEAL HYDROGEN PLASMAS

The time evolution of the relative populations of excited atomic levels in a reacting dense H-plasma is studied on the basis of rate equations. Many-particle effects are taken into account via energy level shifts. It is found that the occupation of the bound state levels is essentially smaller than for the ideal case. It is shown that the mechanism of the relaxation to the thermal equilibrium depends on the density. Inversions of the level populations can be observed.