Low-Energy Electron Scattering from Atomic Nitrogen

Abstract

The total cross section for the scattering of electrons by atomic nitrogen has been measured as a function of electron energy from 1.6 to 10 eV. An electron gun was developed that produced a more intense beam of electrons than was used for similar experiments with atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen. The number of electrons scattered from a region defined by the intersection of an electron beam and a modulated molecular nitrogen beam was compared with the number scattered when the nitrogen beam was partially dissociated. A pulsed de discharge dissociated about 20% of the molecules. The degree of dissociation was measured with a mass spectrometer. From the data, the ratios of atomic to molecular scattering cross sections were obtained. The absolute atomic values were calculated by multiplying these ratios by the molecular nitrogen cross sections obtained by Normand. The results are compared with theoretical estimates of the cross section.