ELECTRON-ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS AND IONIZATION RATES IN HYDROGEN WITH CROSSED ELECTRIC AND STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS

摘要

When the rms raolecular speed in this frame is much smaller than the rms electron speed, the equations can be greatly simplified;although the results are not new, this derivation clari¬fies their physical interpretation and limitations.nWith simplified equations, the electron-energy distribution, drift velocity, ionization rate, and diffusion tensor in cold stationary H2 gas are calculated for cE/B between 4X10 6 and 6X10 7 cm/sec. Whereas the electron-energy distribution depends only on cE/B, the other quantities also have simple dependences upon ng and wb. In view of the large uncertainty in important collision cross sections, the agreement with recent experimental results is reasonably good.