Fundamental limitations of the local approximation for electron distribution function and fluid model in bounded plasmas

It is shown that the local approximation for computing the electron distribution function depends both on the ratio between the energy relaxation length and a characteristic plasma length and on the ratio between heating and ambipolar electric fields. In particular, the local approximation is not valid at the discharge periphery even at high pressure due to the fact that the ambipolar electric field practically always is larger than the heating electric field. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.