Attachment rate of thermal electrons to SF6

A model for two-body attachment rates, which depends upon a competition between stabilization and detachment by a third body, has recently been shown to be invalid. This had led to a re-examination of previous thermal electron attachment rates determined for SF6 where the model was cited as a possible explanation of these rates. It was found that the significantly lower attachment rates determined when CO2 and C2H4 were used as carrier gases resulted from the failure to correct for the non-ideal compressibility of these gases.