Electron-Impact Ionization with Atoms at the Range (E Ei) eV Incident Energy

A classical theory of inelastic atomic collisions is given. It is shown that inelastic scattering ionization interaction between charged particles (electrons) and atoms are due to the Coulomb interaction with atomic electrons and depend in a first approximation on their binding energy and momentum distribution. The effect of interaction between the charged particles depends on their velocity; hence, a description of collision processes based on Thompson and Rutherford formulas – describing the Coulomb scattering on particles at rest, to atomic collision- is bound to yield erroneous results if the velocity of the particle scattered on the atom becomes comparable to, or less than, the mean velocity of electrons in the atom. Our calculations of the ionization cross section are in a good agreement with the theoretical and experimental results of alkali atoms and fine for other atoms.