A comparison of a Monte Carlo simulation and the Boltzmann solution for electron swarm motion in gases

Abstract

Electron warm motion across a uniform electric field in the presence of elastic, excitation, ionisation and attachment collisions with the gas has been simulated. The motion has been analyzed to give swarm parameters for drift velocity (v), mean energy, radial (D_r) and longitudinal (D_L) diffusion coefficient, ionisation and attachment coefficients. The results have been compared with solutions of Boltzmann's equations. In the presence of ionisation and for a fixed mean energy, the Monte Carlo results for v and D_L increased as the proportion of energy going into ionisation increased. In the presence of attachment decreasing values of both v and D_L are observed.