Theoretical studies of the constriction of rare gas glow discharge plasmas Gasentladung Edelgas Kontraktion Fluid Modellierung positive Säule Niedertemperatur Plasma glow to arc transition low temperature plasma In the present work a time and radial dependent fluid model has been developed to describe the glow to arc transition of the positive column in the course of constriction. The self consistent model comprises the particle balance equations for the relevant species the balance equation of the mean electron energy and the heavy particle temperature in the plasma the Poisson equation for the space charge potential and a current balance determining the axial electric field. The model adopts the nonlocal moment method i.e. the system of the balance equations resulting from the moments of the radially dependent Boltzmann equation is solved. The electron transport and rate coefficients are adapted as functions of the mean energy of the electrons the gas temperature and the ionization degree. The model is applied to a description of the constriction of the dc positive column in argon for a wide range of pressures and applied currents. Pronounced nonlocal features of the mean electron energy balance are found and their influence on the constricted argon positive column is analyzed...