Two regimes of heat exchange between a metal particle and a nonequilibrium plasma

A theoretical model is developed for the process of energy exchange between a spherical drop and a nonequilibrium plasma. It is demonstrated that, in a certain range of the plasma parameters, a quasistationary temperature of the drop can be maintained in two different heat exchange regimes. In one of these, the energy flux from plasma to drop is compensated by cooling due to the thermal emission of electrons; in the other, the energy supply is equilibrated by intensive evaporation of the drop material. The two regimes, characterized by certain quasistationary temperatures, are separated by a temperature interval featuring unstable states of the system. The particular realization of one or another quasistationary regime is determined by the initial temperature of the drop.