The application of a modified form of the \(S_ N\) method to the calculation of swarm parameters of electrons in a weakly ionised equilibrium medium (Q789980)

A numerical method is developed for the solution of the Boltzmann equation in order to calculate the swarm parameters of a weakly ionised gas. A brief description is given of the three main types of swarm experiment in which the measurements of these parameters are usually carried out. Then it is shown how these experiments can be simulated by calculation in order to explain the discrepancies observed between the parameters measured under the same conditions but in different experiments. A description is given of the present method of solution which used both Lesaint's \(S_ N\) method and an iterative process based on the so-called Eddington factor. The efficiency and the accuracy of this treatment is shown in two model cases which have already been investigated by several authors. It is observed that the number of iterations is drastically reduced and that the results obtained are of high accuracy.