Ionization of Atoms and Ions by Electron Impact

Abstract

We consider some aspects of the theory of the ionization process

$$e_{{{{\varsigma }_{0}}{{k}_{0}}}}^{ - } + {{X}_{b}} \to e_{{{{\varsigma }_{1}}{{k}_{1}}}}^{ - } + X_{\beta }^{ + } + e_{{{{\varsigma }_{2}}{{k}_{2}}}}^{ - }$$

(1)

where X b may be an atom or ion with N +1 bound electrons, and b and ß are state-labels. The free electrons have spins, wave-vectors and energies ςi, ki- and E _i (i = 0, 1, 2), so the energy balance in (1) is:

$${{E}_{0}} = {{E}_{1}} + {{E}_{2}} + {{I}_{{\beta b}}}$$

(2)

where I _ßb is the energy of $\left\{ {{\varsigma_i}} \right\}$ relative to X _b (i.e. the “ionization potential”).