Transport of low energy electrons in nitrogen and air

Abstract

The transport of electrons in molecular nitrogen and air has been studied in the energy range between 50 eV and 5 keV using the Monte Carlo method and simulating the trajectories of the electrons directly from elastic and inelastic cross-section data avoiding the continuous slowing down approximation and multiple scattering theories. From the calculated spatial energy dissipation and ionization distributions, practical ranges, W values, and backscattering coefficients in relation to the number of primary particles, to the energy, and to the ionization yield have been evaluated which are in very satisfactory agreement with recent experimental results. In addition, the influence of electrostatic fields on the electron transport in air is studied for a typical ionization chamber arrangement suitable for measuring backscattering coefficients and W values.