ELECTRON-ENERGY DISTRIBUTION-FUNCTIONS IN CO2-LASER MIXTURE - THE EFFECTS OF 2ND KIND COLLISIONS FROM METASTABLE ELECTRONIC STATES

Electron energy distribution functions (eedf) in CO2 laser discharge (He-CO2-N2-CO mixture) have been calculated by solving the Boltzmann equation in the presence of given concentrations of excited (vibrational and electronic) states. The results show a well structured eedf as a result of second kind collisions coming from metastable electronic states of N2 and He as well as a strong dependence of rate coefficients for CO2 dissociation and for the ionization of the different species.