RUI: Electron Impact Ionization of Argon and Krypton and Excitation of Resonance Transitions in Neon, Xenon and Molecular Hydrogen.

Csu Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation, Fullerton CA

Investigators

Abstract

The program of the experimental low energy electron collisions group at California State University Fullerton is currently focused on the study of electron collisions with inert rare gases (neon, argon, krypton and xenon) and molecular hydrogen (also a closed shell molecule). The dynamics of electron impact ionization of the rare gas target (specifically neon and xenon) revealed some very interesting results last year. These showed for neon that in the near-threshold ionization region in specific scattering cases (forward scattering and where the energy of either of the two outgoing electrons was very low), the process seems to be inhibited by the electron being sucked into the polarized ion-core. The group has proposed an interesting hypothesis for this effect. Presently it is delving deeper into such mechanisms, with similar experiments with argon and krypton, A second series of experiments in the future hopes to provide detailed information regarding the imparting of angular momentum by the scattering electron to the rare gas target or molecular hydrogen in coincidence with the scattered electron, especially to test state-of-art theories for large angle scattering near backward scattering angles. The experimental low energy electron collisions group at California State University Fullerton is a very active group, where almost half of the physics department's majors participate in research. The group also has a strong publication record with undergraduate student authors on papers in top peer-reviewed journals. The program generates by far more PhD-bound students than any other program in the department. Broader impacts also involve education of a significant number of high school students as well as under-represented women and minority students (California State Fullerton is a nationally recognized Hispanic serving college).