Dynamics of the Plasma Sheath

M. Slemrod
Department of Mathematics, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison,
Wisconsin 53706, USA, slemrod@math.wisc.edu

Summary. The motion of the interface separating the sheath boundary layer and
quasi-neutral plasma is formulated in the terms of level set motion. The equations
for the motion are derived and given as a system of partial dierential equations.
When restricted to the case of planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetries, these
equations become ordinary dierential equations.

1 Introduction
In a recent sequence of papers with Ha [4] and Feldman & Ha [3]. I have
generalized an earlier paper of K.-U. Riemann and Th. Daube [8] for the
propagation of a sheath interface in a plasma of ions and electrons. The purpose of this article is to present an elementary exposition of the underlying
issues, both physical and mathematical, that arise is this most natural of
multi-scale problems. However while the presentation is elementary, there is
an underlying theme to the work. Namely for multi-scale systems, one can
do worse than avoid transition layers completely and replace the transition
layers by propagating sharp interfaces described as level sets [6]. The reason
is simple: what one loses in accuracy of resolution of small scales one gains in
both the simplicity of the level set formalism and the underlying geometric
understanding.
This paper is divided into four sections after this Introduction. Section 2
describes the underlying physical problem within the context of a classical
gas dynamics. Section 3 reformulates the problem of sheath formation for
the plasma problem. Section 4 formulates an approach to the location of
the plasma sheath interface for planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetries.
Finally Section 5 generalizes Section 4s results to the general non-symmetric
case and then recovers the dynamics of the sheath interface in the symmetric
cases as an application of the general theory.


This research was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation under
grants DMS-0203858 and DMS-0243722.

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M. Slemrod

2 The Euler Equations with Planar, Radical, and

Spherical symmetry
Consider a gas with constant temperature satisfying the ideal gas law
p() = c2

(1)

where p is the pressure, is the density, and c is the speed of sound (a

constant). The equations of motion are given by the balance of mass and
momentum:

(2)
t + (u)r = (u),
r

(u)t + (u2 + p)r = (u2 ) + (u)u.

(3)
r
where = 0, 1, 2 depending on whether we have planar, cylindrical, or spherical symmetry. Here u is the velocity of gas and (u) 0 is the friction
coecient.
To keep things simple for now lets consider only steady motion where
t = (u)t = 0. In this case (1), (2), (3) imply
ur =

(u)u2
c2 u
+
.
r(u2 c2 ) u2 c2

(4)

The implication of (4) is obvious. In the cases = 0: (u) > 0 will imply
a singularity in the velocity as the gas attempts the transition from subsonic
ow u2 < c2 to supersonic ow u2 > c2 ; = 1, 2: (u) 0 will imply the
singularity.

3 Collisional and Collisionless Plasmas

Consider a plasma consisting of ions and electrons [5]. The density of the ions
is given by ni , the velocity of ions is u, the density of the electrons is given
by ue , the electric potential is . Under suitable scaling of independent and
dependent variables the equations of motion for a plasma of cold ions (with
ion pressure identically zero) is given by conservation of mass, momentum,
and Poisson equations:

nit + (ni u)r = (ni u),

r
(ni u)t + (ni u2 )r = ni r + ni (u)u,


2 1


r
= ni ne .
r r
r

(5)
(6)
(7)

Again = 0, 1, 2 represents the cases of planar, cylindrical and spherical

symmetry.

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367

We assume the electron mass is much smaller than the ion mass. An asymptotic analysis of the conservation of momentum for the electrons then
yields the classic formula for the electron density ne = e (Boltzmanns
relation). Hence (7) simplies to


2 1

(8)

r
= ni e .
r r
r
Note we have not placed any additional source terms (ionization) in (5)
but continued to place the friction term in (6). The case with (u) > 0 is
called a collisional plasma, if (u) 0 it is a collisionless plasma.
The parameter  > 0 is called the Debye length and captures any length
scale in our plasma. The formal limit  0 is called the quasi-neutral limit
and provides a tempting simplication to our problem.
In the quasi-neutral limit (8) implies ni = e and hence = ln ni .
Substitution of this choice of into (5), (6) yields the equations of motion for
our quasi-neutral plasma

nit + (ni u)r = (n, u),

r

(9)

(ni u)t + (ni u2 + ni )r = (ui u2 ) + ni (u)u,

(10)
r
which are just the isothermal Euler equations (2), (3) with sound speed c = 1.
Now we see the diculty encountered in plasma physics: imposition of a
large potential dierence across a plasma of ions and electrons will cause the
ions to attempt to pass from slow subsonic ow to fast supersonic ow. But
the analysis of Section 2 shows that for steady motion (9), (10) must cause
a singularity to form when u2 = c2 so that |ur | (the Bohm criterion).
Hence we can only conclude that as we make the transition from subsonic
to supersonic ow, the quasi-neutral limit is no longer valid and smaller scale becomes relevant. In fact asymptotic analysis [1], [7] of steady motion
shows that in a bounded domain a boundary layer of order  occurs which is
separated form the quass-neutral regime by a transition region of order 4/5 .
The boundary layer is called the plasma sheath.

4 Dynamics of the Plasma Sheath

One way to study dynamics of the plasma sheath is to rescale in space and
time. It we set t =
t , r = r
then in the overbar variables (5), (6), (8) become

nit + (ni u)r = (ni u).

r

(11)

(ni u)t + (ni u2 )r = ni r + ni (u)u,

(12)

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M. Slemrod



1

r
(13)
= ni e .
r r
r
Thus we see that on the small -scale the friction term is negligible and may
be neglected. (Of course the same would be true for any ionization terms as
well.) So within the sheath boundary layer (11)(13) pervade and the friction
term is negligible. In fact since is very large, we can neglect e as well
which simplies (11)(13) even further.
On the other hand in the far eld we expect the quasi-neutral system
(9)(10) to be valid which is the r, t independent variables becomes

(14)
nit + (ni u)r (ni u),
r

(15)
(ni u)t + (ni u2 + ni )r = (ni u2 ) + ni (u)u.
r
Again  multiplies the friction term. This reects that friction has a small
eect on the small order  time scale. Now we see that nally we have two
descriptions of the plasma. First in the boundary layer we have the boundary
layer dynamics from (11)(13):

(16)
nit + (ni u)r = (ni u),
r
(ni u)t + (ni u2 )r = ni r ,


1

r
= ni
r r
r
On the other hand in the far eld we have quasi-neutral dynamics

(17)
(18)

(ni u),
(19)
r

(ni u)t + (ni u2 + ni )r = (ni u2 ).

(20)
r
The issue now is where to switch our two descriptions: (16)(18) (the boundary
layer dynamics) and (19)(20) (the far eld quasi-neutral dynamics).
One answer is just use the Bohm criterion and switch when u2 = c2 . For
dynamic problems this is not enough and the Bohm criterion must be supplemented by a second criterion. Following Riemann and Daube [8] Feldman,
Ha, and Slemrod [3], [4] have used a second criterion based on the electric
potential. Simply put matching asymptotic expansions in the transition layer
yields
r  ,
nit + (ni u)r =

where 0 < < 1. Hence since r =

r

we see

r 1
and r is small is the transition region. We combine this observation with
Bohm criterion and dene the plasma sheath interface as the curve r s (t) where
u2 (r s (t), t) = c2 (Bohm) and r (r s (t), t) = 0.

Dynamics of the Plasma Sheath

369

5 Generalization to Non-Symmetric Case

In Section 14 I have given a short description how that plasma-sheath system
with a sharp interface is formulated in the canonical symmetries. But once the
ideas are in place the generalization to the general non-symmetric case follows
logically. This has been given in the paper of Feldman, Ha,. and Slemrod [3].
First we record the easy parts: The boundary layer sheath system and the
far eld quasi-neutral equations. In the interior sheath region we have
nt + x (nu) = 0,

(21)

ut + (u, x )u = x ,

(22)

x = n,

(23)
x

where x denotes the Laplacian with respect to x = .

On the other hand in the far eld quasi-neutral region we have
nt + x (nu) = 0

(24)

ut + (u x )u + x (ln n) = 0.

(25)

The main issue is how to generalize the denition of the interface between
the two regions. The denition we have chosen is the obvious one.
Denition A plasma sheath interface S(t) separating a quasi-neutral region
and an interior sheath region is the level set of the normal component of the
ion velocity and electric elds, i.e.
S(t) = { x R3 ; u (x, t) = 1 (or +1 depending on the
direction of ow of ions), x (x, t) = 0 } , t > 0,
where is the exterior unit normal to the interface.
We note the 1 just represents the fact that the sound speed in our formulation has been rescaled to 1. In the presence of the canonical symmetries,
the denition of course reduces to the denition given in Section 4 for the
symmetric cases. More importantly the level set formation gives us an immediate method of nding the dynamics of the interface. First to simplify
matters we will henceforth drop the overbars on t, x. Next we dene normal
time derivative of a function f (x, t) by
f
= t f + V x f
t

(26)

where = V is the velocity of the normal component interface. Hence for

an interface described by a level set function (x, t) = 0, x is trivially in
the normal direction to the interface and

= 0.
t

(27)

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M. Slemrod

Furthermore elementary dierential geometry tells us

= s V
t

(28)

when s denotes the surface gradient on the interface. Finally we dierentiate

the level set identities u(x, t) = 1, x (x, t) = 0 along the propagating

interface, i.e. take t

of these equations. We then recover for normal ow,
i.e. ows for which uT = 0 (uT the tangential component of velocity), the
following system

= 0,
(29)
t
n
= nx
(30)
t
h
1
(V + 1) +
= s (V s ln n).
(31)
n
n
Hence h is an additional quantity, the ion current and (31) gives us a formula
for computing V . (The computations are given in [3]).
In itself (29)(31) is of course very neat. Moreover we can make an immediate observation. Since x is twice the mean curvature Km of the
interface (31) says normal velocity V is inversely proportional to ion density

n and taking t
of both sides of (31) we see V
t measuring acceleration of
.
If
we
combine
this observation with (30)
the interface is proportional to n
t
we see the acceleration of interface is proportional to the mean curvature of
the interface (plus other terms). Thus the theory shows we have a curvature
driven interface, but it is the acceleration that is driven by curvature.
Before ending this section, it is perhaps worthwhile to see what (29)(31)
gives in the cases of planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry, i.e. = 0, 1, 2.
First consider planar solutions with the following ansatz: (x, t) = x1 s(t),
n(x, t) = n(x1 , t) and h = (h, 0, 0). In this case the surface gradients vanish
and = 0 as well. Hence

n
h
= 0,
= 0, V = 1
.
t
t
n0
Since

(32)

= t + V x this implies
s + V = 0, t n + s
x1 n = 0, V = 1

h
.
n

(33)

It is then easy to see n(x, t) = n0 (a constant) and s = 1 nh0 . Hence the

interface is given and x1 = s(t) where s satises s = 1 nh0 .
Next we consider the spherically symmetric solutions with (x, t) = r
s(t). Then we see that (29)(31) yield
V = s(t),

nt + V n r =

2n
,
r

Dynamics of the Plasma Sheath

371

h
=0
n
is now the radial component of ion current. We combine the rst two
where h
equations to get

h
2n
, s + 1 + = 0.
(34)
nt + s nr =
r
n
Now dene s(, t) by the characteristic curve (particle path) issued from
corresponding to the rst equation in (34). Then
s + 1 +

d
s
(, t) = s(t),

s(, 0) = ,
dt
and

s(t), t)
2n(
s(t), t) .
dn(
s(t), t)
h(
=
, s(t) + 1 +
= 0.
(35)
dt
s(t)
n(
s(t), t)
Then the second equation in (35) when dierentiated with respect to t yields
.

s(t), t) s(t) + t h(
s(t), t))
s (t) + 1)(r h(
(
s (t) + 1) (
.
s(t) + 2
=0

n
s(t)
..

r) =
which combined with the ansatz h(t,
.

..

s(t) +

h(t)
r2

gives
.

h(t)(
s (t) + 1)
2(
s (t) + 1)2

=0
s(t)
h(t)

(36)

and this a second order ordinary dierential equation for the interface r = s(t).
The cylindrical ( = 1) case is an analogous computation.

References
1. R.N. Franklin, J.R. Ockendon: Asymptotic matching of plasma and sheath in
an active low pressure discharge. J. Plasma Phys. 4, 371385 (1970)
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3. M. Feldman, S.-Y. Ha, M. Slemrod: A geometric level-set formulation of a
plasma-sheath interface. Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 178, 81123 (2005)
4. S.-Y. Ha, M. Slemrod: Global existence of plasma-ion sheaths and their dynamics. Comm. Math. Phys. 238, 149186 (2003)
5. M.A. Lieberman, A.J. Lichtenberg: Principles of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing ( New York, Wiley Interscience 1994)
6. S. Osher, R.P. Fedkiw: Level Set Methods and Dynamic Implicit Surfaces, Appl.
Math., vol. 153, (Springer, New York 2003)
7. K.-U. Riemann: The Bohm criterion and sheath formation. J. Physics D: Appl.
Phys. 24, 493518 (1991)
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ion matrix sheath. J. Appl. Phys. 86, 12021207 (1999)
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sheath in symmetrically driven RF discharges. J. Comput. Phys. 111, 347353
(1994)