Non-equilibrium ionisation of molecular hydrogen in electrical discharges

Ionisation rates of molecular hydrogen in electrical discharges have been calculated by solving a system of vibrational master equations coupled to the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution. The results show that the influence of vibrational excited molecules on the ionisation rate can be greater by a factor of up to 10 of the corresponding contribution from the ground vibrational level of H2(X1Σsub(g)). A complete set of ionisation cross-sections (for all vibrational levels) has been calculated by using Gryzinski's theory (Phys. Rev.; 138: 305, 322 (1965)) in combination with the Franck-Condon principle. (author)