The Rate Constant of Electron Impact Dissociation of Carbon Dioxide (Analytical Review of Calculation Methods and Known Results)

An analytical review has been made of calculation methods and available results of studies on the energy spectrum of electrons in gas discharges in neat carbon dioxide and CO 2 -containing mixtures. On the basis of a detailed analysis and generalization of calculation results obtained using various models for determining the electron energy spectrum, the rate constant of electron impact dissociation of CO 2 in atmospheric-pressure direct-current gas discharge has been found. The range of the reduced electric field (from 55 to 100 Td) in which the predominant mechanism of CO 2 decomposition is electron collisions with CO 2 molecules has been established. An expression has been obtained for calculating the rate constant of electron impact dissociation of CO 2 depending on the reduced electric field. It has been shown that despite the same method of forming a self-consistent set of cross sections, identical values of adjustable parameters can be obtained for different sets of cross sections. This leads to the ambiguity of calculated values for the rate constants of electron impact-induced processes.