How to normalize Maxwell-Boltzmann electrons in transient plasma models

Proper normalization of a Maxwell-Boltzmann electron distribution in transient plasma models requires the self-consistent calculation of a reference density from a global electron conservation equation. This calculation tends to produce numerical oscillations in the time evolution of the plasma, in particular during the formation of the plasma sheath. The present paper proposes a simple numerical scheme to prevent these oscillations by artificial critical damping, which makes it possible to simulate transient plasma phenomena without electron-related time step conditions. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.