Numerical model of microwave-induced gas breakdown

Summary form only given. When a microwave field is applied to a gas, free electrons present in the gas are accelerated by the electric field and undergo collisions with neutral atoms. Due to the elastic electron-neutral collisions, it is possible for some electrons to gain enough energy to reach the neutral gas ionization threshold and the density of free electrons can increase exponentially. We have developed a breakdown model for air and other gases near atmospheric density and implemented it in the AFRL code ICEPIC. We will describe the model and show what it predicts for the transmission and reflection of a microwave pulse by different gases over a range of field intensities.