Eur. Phys. J. D 40, 101-106 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2006-00158-3

Electron impact single and double ionization of argon

¹ Department of Physics, B.R.A Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, 842001 Bihar, India
² Department of Physics, B.S. College Danapur, 800012 Bihar, India
³ Professor's Colony Aghoria Bazar, Muzaffarpur, 842002 Bihar, India

Corresponding author: ^a bnroy123@yahoo.co.in

Received: 29 December 2005
Published online: 5 July 2006

Abstract

Electron impact single and double ionization cross-sections for argon have been calculated in the binary encounter approximation (BEA) in the energy regions ranging from respective near thresholds to 5300 eV. The accurate expression for σ_ΔE (cross-section for energy transfer ΔE) including exchange and interference as given by Vriens and Hartee-Fock velocity distributions for the target electrons have been used throughout the calculations. It is observed that consideration of ionization of 3p and 3s shells explains overall satisfactory agreement of single ionization cross-sections with the experimental data. It is also concluded that the present method gives reasonable values of direct double ionization cross-sections. Inclusion of contributions of Auger effect due to vacancy in 2p shell brings the theoretical results of double ionization cross-sections in reasonably good agreement with the experimental observations.