Fundamentals of a technique for determining electron distribution functions by multi-term even-order expansion in Legendre polynomials. 1

On the basis of recent investigations concerning the mathematical structure of the hierarchy which results from the Legendre polynomial expansion of the electron velocity distribution function in Boltzmann's equation a new technique for solving this equation in multi-term even-order approximation is presented. This method is, even if more complex, the logical generalization of the well known technique for solving Boltzmann's equation by backward integration in the conventional two-term approximation. A weakly ionized, spatially homogeneous and stationary plasma with elastic and exciting electron-atom collisions is considered acted upon by a dc electric field. The technique, presented in detail, determines the distribution function in even order 2l of the expansion at the end by l-fold backward and 2l-fold forward integration of the hierarchy and by continuous connection of the resulting non-singular parts of the general solutions at low and high energies at an appropriate connection point. A first application of this method is made on a model gas for the even orders from 2 to 10 and under conditions with distinct anisotropy in the velocity space due to intensive exciting collisions. The converged macroscopic quantities and the corresponding first coefficients of the distribution expansion itself are compared with very accurate Monte Carlo simulations under the same conditions where a perfect agreement between the results obtained with both techniques was found confirming the high accuracy of the new technique. (author)