Excitation coefficients and cross-sections for electron swarms in methane

Abstract

We have measured electron excitation coefficients for production of excited fragments H(n=3), H(n=4), CH(A2Δ) and CH(B2Σ−) from the ground-state methane molecules by an electron swarm in a drift tube type experiment (parallel plate Townsend discharge at very low currents). Hα and Hβ lines as well as CH(A2Δ–X2Π) and CH(B2Σ−–X2Π) bands were used. Cross-sections from binary collision experiments were renormalized by fitting the measured data with the results of Boltzmann equation and Monte Carlo calculations for electron transport.