Efficient modeling of electron kinetics under influence of externally applied electric field in magnetized weakly ionized plasma

We present a theory based on the conventional two-term (i.e. Lorentzian) approximation to the exact solution of the Boltzmann equation in non-magnetized weakly ionized plasma to efficiently obtain the electron rate and transport coefficients in a magnetized plasma for an arbitrary magnitude and direction of applied electric field E ⃗ and magnetic field B ⃗ . The proposed transcendental method does not require the two-term solution of the Boltzmann equation in magnetized plasma, based on which the transport parameters vary as a function of the reduced electric field E / N , reduced electron cyclotron frequency ω c e / N , and angle ∠ E ⃗ , B ⃗ between E ⃗ and B ⃗ vectors, where N is the density of neutrals. Comparisons between the coefficients derived from BOLSIG+’s solution (obtained via the two-term expansion when B ⃗ ≠ 0 ) and coefficients of the presented method are illustrated for air, a mixture of molecular hydrogen (H₂) and helium (He) representing the giant gas planets of the Solar System, and pure carbon dioxide (CO₂). The new approach may be used in the modeling of magnetized plasma encountered in the context of transient luminous events, e.g. sprite streamers in the atmosphere of Earth and Jupiter, in modeling the propagation of lightning’s electromagnetic pulses in Earth’s ionosphere, and in various laboratory and industrial applications of nonthermal plasmas.