He2+ molecular ions in helium glow discharges:: the effect of bulk electron temperature

He-2(+) molecular ions may be present in a concentration comparable to that of atomic ions in dc helium glow discharges operated at medium pressures (several tens of millibars). We use hybrid discharge simulations to study in a self-consistent way the creation, transport and loss processes of both atomic and molecular ionic species and the role of molecular ions in the self-sustainment of the discharges. In the pressure range where recombination processes are significant, the temperature of the cold (bulk, trapped) electrons is expected to strongly influence the discharge properties. In order to clarify these effects we investigate the influence of cold electron temperature (used as an input parameter) on the results of the simulations based on a hybrid model.