Eur. Phys. J. D (2012) 66: 117
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2012-20707-3

Regular Article

Periodic structures in the Franck-Hertz experiment with neon: Boltzmann equation and Monte-Carlo analysis

¹ ARC Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, James Cook University, 4810 Townsville, Australia
² Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
³ Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia

^a e-mail: ronald.white@jcu.edu.au

Received: 6 December 2011
Received in final form: 27 February 2012
Published online: 17 May 2012

Abstract

The Franck-Hertz experiment with neon gas is modelled as an idealised steady-state Townsend experiment and analysed theoretically using (a) multi-term solution of Boltzmann equation and (b) Monte-Carlo simulation. Theoretical electron periodic electron structures, together with the ‘window’ of reduced fields in which they occur, are compared with experiment, and it is explained why it is necessary to account for all competing scattering processes in order to explain the observed experimental ‘wavelength’. The study highlights the fundamental flaws in trying to explain the observations in terms of a single, assumed dominant electronic excitation process, as is the case in text books and the myriad of misleading web sites.