Mittlere Energien und Driftgeschwindigkeiten von Elektronen in Stickstoff, Argon und Xenon, ermittelt aus Bildverstärkeraufnahmen von Elektronenlawinen

Abstract

Local and temporal development of electron avalanches in a pulsed discharge gap (d=3,00 cm) are investigated in N₂, Ar, Xe and mixtures of N₂ and CH₄ by simultaneously applying high gain image intensifier- and photomultiplier techniques. Electron drift velocities are obtained from time-of-flight and way-of-flight measurements in these gases. The mean energy of agitation of the electrons is derived both from electron mobility and avalanche image trace profile (diffusion broadening). The results obtained (for 20°C), being in fair agreement with one another, read N₂: (4·6...5·0) eV forE/p=50...200 V/cm Torr; Ar: (9·0...9·5) eV forE/p=24... 45 V/cm Torr; Xe: (4·8...5·0) eV forE/p= 40... 90 V/cm Torr; CH₄(10% N₂): 6·3 eV forE/p= 89 V/cm Torr. The mean energy of agitation does not change very much withE/p in the ranges investigated.

Some results concerning the radiation properties of these gases are included such as lifetime of the excited states, quenching pressure etc.