Two-dimensional hybrid Monte Carlo-fluid numerical code is developed and applied to model the dc glow discharge. The model is based on the separation of electrons into two parts: the low energetic (slow) and high energetic (fast) electron groups. Ions and slow electrons are described within the fluid model using the drift-diffusion approximation for particle fluxes. Fast electrons, represented by suitable number of super particles emitted from the cathode, are responsible for ionization processes in the discharge volume, which are simulated by the Monte Carlo collision method. Electrostatic field is obtained from the solution of Poisson equation. The test calculations were carried out for an argon plasma. Main properties of the glow discharge are considered. Current-voltage curves, electric field reversal phenomenon, and the vortex current formation are developed and discussed. The results are compared to those obtained from the simple and extended fluid models. Contrary to reports in the literature, the analysis does not reveal significant advantages of existing hybrid methods over the extended fluid model. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

View the article online for updates and enhancements. Two-dimensional hybrid model for a glow discharge: comparison with fluid and kinetic (particle) models, reliability and accuracy E Eylenceoglu and I RafatovMiddle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey E-mail: eender@metu.edu.trAbstract. We developed and tested a two-dimensional Monte Carlo -fluid hybrid numerical code for the DC glow discharge simulations. The model is based on the separation of electrons into two parts, namely, the low energetic (slow) and high energetic (fast) groups. Ions and slow electrons are described within the fluid model using the drift-diffusion approximation for particle fluxes. Electrostatic field is obtained from the solution of Poisson equation. Fast electrons, represented by the appropriate number of super particles emitted from the cathode, are responsible for ionization processes in the discharge volume. Test calculations were carried out for the argon plasma. The vortex current formation in a DC discharge is observed in the case of rectangular geometry.