Electron and ion number densities in the space charge layer in thermal plasmas

The space charge layer near the charged surface in the thermal collision plasma has been studied. The analytical expressions describing the spatial distributions of electron and ion number densities, taking into account the nonequilibrium ionization, have been obtained. It has been shown that the nonequilibrium ionization in the space charge layer leads to the essential change of the distribution profile of these number densities. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.