Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing

1. Electron Temperature: Non-equilibrium plasmas have a higher electron temperature compared to the heavy particles (ions and neutrals). This characteristic is crucial in various applications, such as plasma etching and material processing.

2.Nonequilibrium Reactions: The energetic electrons in non-equilibrium plasma can drive a variety of chemical reactions that are not possible in thermal equilibrium. This property finds applications in plasma-assisted combustion and environmental remediation.

3 Electric Fields and Oscillations: The presence of charged particles at different energy levels gives rise to electric fields and oscillations within the plasma, leading to phenomena like plasma waves and instabilities.

4 Non-Maxwellian Energy Distribution: In contrast to thermal equilibrium plasmas, the energy distribution of electrons in non-equilibrium plasmas is non-Maxwellian, meaning it deviates from a simple bell-shaped curve. This can significantly affect the plasma's behavior and interactions with other materials.