Determination of Electron Swarm Parameters and Limiting Electrical Field during Martian Dust Storm Season Using Boltzmann Analysis

M.S. Dincera, S.S. Tezcanb, H. Duzkayab, S. Dincerc aNear East University, Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering, 99138, Nicosia, Cyprus bGazi University, Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering, 06570, Ankara, Turkey cAnkara University, Department of Chemistry, 06100, Ankara, Turkey

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In the ternary mixture of 95.7% CO2+ 2.69% N2+ 1.59% Ar with various dust loads representing the Martian atmosphere, ionization, attachment, electron mean energies and electron drift velocities are numerically calculated by a two-term Boltzmann equation analysis at Ls=270°. The attachment coefficient defined carries dissociative attachment collisions of the CO2 component in the ternary mixture together with electron attachment to uncharged dust grains in the dusty storm season. The limiting E/N values for the critical condition where ionization rates are balanced by attachment collisions in the low pressure plasma (E is the electric field produced by the dust storm and N is the total number density of gas molecules in the ternary mixture) are evaluated for various dust loads. The limiting E/N increases as a function of dust grain size and the effect is more pronounced for dust loads with higher grain densities.

DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.138.368 topics: martian atmosphere, electrical discharge, electron swarm properties, limiting electrical field, transport properties