Electron ionization and excitation coefficients for argon, krypton, and xenon in the low E/N region

The electron ionization coefficients for Ar, Kr, and Xe have been measured in the low E/N region [(0.5–4) ×10−16 V cm2] using a drift‐tube apparatus. At low field values, the ionization coefficient was found to be anomalously large, a fact attributed to surface photoelectron emission from radiating metastables. This contribution also explains the discrepancy between earlier measurements and recent calculations based on the transport equation. The measurements were analyzed on the basis of two contributions to the ionization rate and calculations of the transport equation, yielding a revised set of inelastic cross sections which differ from earlier ones primarily in the inclusion of shape resonances.

[1]  A. Kruithof,et al.  Determination of the Townsend ionization coefficient α for pure argon , 1936 .

[2]  A. Kruithof,et al.  Townsend's ionization coefficients for neon, argon, krypton and xenon , 1940 .

[3]  L. Fisher,et al.  ANOMALIES IN IONIZATION COEFFICIENTS AND IN UNIFORM FIELD BREAKDOWN IN ARGON FOR LOW VALUES OF E/p , 1961 .

[4]  A. V. Phelps,et al.  MOMENTUM TRANSFER CROSS SECTIONS FOR SLOW ELECTRONS IN HE, AR, KR, AND XE FROM TRANSPORT COEFFICIENTS, , 1964 .

[5]  M. Elford,et al.  Precision Measurements of the Townsend Energy Ratio for Electron Swarms in Highly Uniform Electric Fields , 1965 .

[6]  D. Rapp,et al.  Total Cross Sections for Ionization and Attachment in Gases by Electron Impact. I. Positive Ionization , 1965 .

[7]  J. Moruzzi.  High Emission Photocathode for Swarm Experiments , 1967 .

[8]  Stanley S. Ballard,et al.  Techniques of Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy , 1967 .

[9]  J. Simpson,et al.  Resonances in the Total Cross Sections for Metastable Excitation of Noble Gases by Electron Impact , 1968 .

[10]  A. Phelps.  ROTATIONAL AND VIBRATIONAL EXCITATION OF MOLECULES BY LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONS. , 1968 .

[11]  Ionization coefficients and sparking voltages in krypton and in krypton—olefin gas mixtures† , 1971 .

[12]  R. Crompton,et al.  Diffusion and drift of electrons in gases , 1974 .

[13]  E. Eggarter.  Comprehensive optical and collision data for radiation action. II. Ar , 1975 .

[14]  D. Lorents,et al.  An Introduction to Gas Lasers: Population Inversion Mechanisms , 1976 .

[15]  J. Jacob,et al.  Total electron impact excitation cross sections of Ar and Kr , 1976 .

[16]  Measurement of breakdown potentials and Townsend ionization coefficients for the Penning mixtures of neon and xenon , 1976 .

[17]  S. Lawton,et al.  Excitation of the b 1Σ+g state of O2 by low energy electrons , 1978 .

[18]  M. Rokni,et al.  Rare gas fluoride lasers , 1978 .