Elastic Electron Scattering in Neon

Abstract

The distribution in angle of electrons having energies ranging from 10 to 800 volts scattered by neon atoms was measured over a range from 7° to 150°. For the higher energies, above 600 volts, the scattering curves fall monotonically with increasing angle. For smaller energies, an increase of scattering with increasing angle in the large angle region becomes more and more accentuated as the energy is reduced to 35 volts. Below this the curves flatten out. The position of the minimum in the scattering curves shifts steadily to smaller angles as the electron energy is increased. The elastic cross section obtained by integration of the scattering coefficient multiplied by the sine of the scattering angle is computed for electron energies between 10 volts and 800 volts, and is compared with direct absorption measurements. Mott's formula is inadequate to describe the scattering curves even at the highest voltage, a result in accordance with a criterion set up by Morse. The low-voltage curves can be fitted satisfactorily to a formula of the type developed theoretically by Allis and Morse.