THE LOSS OF FREE ELECTRONS IN IRRADIATED AIR

Abstract

The loss of free electrons in air, nitrogen, and oxygen is studied as a function of pressure by continuously irradiating the gases with high-energy electrons and measuring the equilibrium electron densities with a microwave probe. At low pressures (1–10 mm Hg) electrons are lost by free diffusion to the chamber walls before cooling. At intermediate pressures (10–100 mm Hg) electrons cool rapidly without loss to thermal energy and then disappear by three-body attachment in air and oxygen, and by electron–ion recombination in nitrogen. At high pressures (100–1000 mm Hg) the electron density increases with irradiation time and the controlling loss mechanism is uncertain.