Diffusion of electrons in a gas in the field of an intense coherent radiation

L. Friedland*, Yu M. Kagan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A theory of electron diffusion in a gas in the presence of an intense radiation field is presented. The theory is applicable when the classical electron oscillation energy 0 exceeds the typical electron-gas inelastic collision energy loss and when the frequency of the wave is much larger than the inelastic collision frequency coll. It is shown that the existence of these two different time scales allows us to derive a simple Langevin type, model stochastic equation, describing the slow-time-scale electron transport in the gas. Assuming linear dependence of coll on the electron energy, simple analytic expressions for the time evolution of the average electron translational energy W and random-walk parameter x2av are derived. In the long-time limit W=/4 and x2av=Dt, where the diffusion coefficient D is independent of both and 0. These predictions are in a good agreement with the results of Monte Carlo computer experiments, conducted for the cases of N2 and Hg.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1810-1815
Number of pages6
JournalPhysical Review A
Volume31
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1985

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