Analysis of weblike network structures of directed graphs for chemical reactions in methane plasmas

Chemical reactions of molecular gases like methane are so complicated that a chart of decomposed and/or synthesized species originating from molecules in plasma resembles a weblike network in which we write down species and reactions among them. Here we consider properties of the network structures of chemical reactions in methane plasmas. In the network, atoms/molecules/radical species are assumed to form nodes and chemical reactions correspond to directed edges in the terminology of graph theory. Investigation of the centrality index reveals importance of CH3 in the global chemical reaction, and difference of an index for each radical species between cases with and without electrons clarifies that the electrons are at an influential position to tighten the network structure.