Interaction between solid nitrogen and 1–3-keV electrons

Abstract

Experimental studies were made of the interaction between solid nitrogen and beams of 1–3‐keV electrons. The projected range for the electrons was measured by means of the mirror‐substrate method (gold substrate), giving the result 9.02×1016 E 1.75 molecules/cm2 with the energy given in keV. The escape depth for secondary electrons was studied by means of the equivalent‐substrate method (carbon substrate). The results varied from 280 Å at 1 keV to 400 Å at 3 keV. Measurements were also made of the secondary‐electron‐emission coefficient, which varied from 2.3 el/el at 1 keV to 1.2 el/el at 3 keV. At 3 keV, the SEE coefficient is 12 times that for solid deuterium. This is attributed partly to the larger production rate for low‐energy electrons in nitrogen and partly to the larger escape probability for these electrons. Moreover, measurements were made of the electron‐reflection coefficient, both for solid nitrogen and for the carbon substrate. For nitrogen, it varied from 0.17 el/el at 1 keV to 0.13 el/el at 3 keV, and for carbon it varied from 0.13 to 0.12. The observations are discussed and comparisons made with other theoretical and experimental results. The agreement ranges from good to fair.