Validity of the continuous-slowing-down approximation in electron degradation, with numerical results for argon

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.41.2500· OSTI ID:6939849

Kowari, K ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (US)

The electron degradation spectrum plays a key role in describing the electron slowing-down processes in matter. The validity of a method to obtain the electron degradation spectrum approximately, i.e., the continuous-slowing-down approximation with full accounting of electron production, is examined. Numerical results derived with this method are compared with the direct solution of the Spencer-Fano equation for argon using the same set of electron-collision cross sections. The method is effective at electron kinetic energies much higher than the first ionization threshold but fails at low electron kinetic energies even when the kinetic energy of an incident electron is high. Reasons for this failure are discussed in detail.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6939849
• Journal Information: Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA) Vol. 41:5; ISSN PLRAA; ISSN 0556-2791
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

654001* -- Radiation & Shielding Physics-- Radiation Physics
Shielding Calculations & Experiments
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ARGON
ATOM COLLISIONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FERMIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
IONIZATION
LEPTONS
LOSSES
NONMETALS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RARE GASES
SECONDARY EMISSION
SLOWING-DOWN
SPENCER-FANO THEORY