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Rotational excitation and momentum transfer cross sections for electrons in H/sup 2/ and N/sup 2/ from transport coefficients

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6580713

The theoretical values of the transport coefficients were obtained by calculating accurate electron energy distribution functions with an assumed set of elastic and inelastic cross sections. The discrete nature of the energy loss occurring in a rotational or vibrational excitation collision was included in the theory, as were collisions of the second kind with thermally excited molecules. The resulting values of drift velocity and characteristic energy, D/mu, were compared with experimental data, and adtustments were made in the assumed cross sections until good agreement was obtained. The final values of the rotational excitation cross sections are 2.5 times the values computed using the latest available values for the molecular electric quadrupole moments. In hydrogen, the analysis has been extended to energies for which vibrational excitation is important. A vibrational cross section with a maximum of roughly 5 x 10/sup -17/ cm/sup 2/ at 3 eV is consistent with the measurements.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6580713
Report Number(s):
AD-274635
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English