AVALANCHE-IONIZATION FRONT IN AN ELECTRONEGATIVE GAS IN A CONSTANT ELECTRIC-FIELD

A simple theory of the avalanche-ionization front is generalized to the case of propagation in an electronegative gas. The results of a numerical solution of the nonstationary problem are presented. The relationships describing the stationary profile of the ionization wave are obtained. The growth rate is found for the instability of the plane ionization front with respect to ripple perturbations. It is shown that the incorporation of the electron attachment considerably changes the wave profile and ensures the stability of the front even for a supercritical external field when the value of this field is less than some specified value.