MOBILITY AND DIFFUSION CROSS SECTION OF ATOMIC XENON ION IN XENON

An x-band microwave cavity method has been employed to study the decay of electron density in low gas pressures of very pure xenon. The main electron loss process in the late afterglow is via ambipolar diffusion affected by diffusion cooling of electrons. Extrapolation to zero pressure yields a value of (0·54 ± 0·03) cm2 v-1 s-1 for the mobility of Xe+ diffusing in xenon at 295°K, in good agreement with previous work. A value of 2·46 × 10-14 cm2 is deduced for the diffusion cross section, in reasonable agreement with a theoretically calculated value.