GENERAL RESEARCH. ENERGY TRANSFER PROCESSES IN A PARTIALLY IONIZED, TWO-TEMPERATURE GAS

The elementary situation of convective energy transfer between parallel plates at different temperatures is analyzed for partially ionized, non-reacting, monatomic hydrogen wherein the electrons may be at a temperature different from that of the heavier species. The gas conditions considered are such that an ion sheath, less than a mean free path in spatial extent, forms on the fully catalytic colder surface. The numerical results obtained indicate that: (1) the gross features of the continuum solution are rather insensitive to the models of sheath and transition regions employed; (2) the energy transfer between ions and electrons due to the electric field external to the sheath is appreciable, particularly in its effects of reducing electron temperature; (3) thermal nonequilibrium effects on total heat transfer are not as great as might be anticipated, due to energy transfer between species by electric fields and the contribution of diffusional processes; (4) magnetic field effects on total heat transfer are less than the effect on electronic thermal conductivity would indicate and are lessened further by thermal nonequilibrium effects. (Author)