Drift mobility of excess electrons in liquid ethane, subjected to high electric fields

Abstract

Drift velocity data of excess electrons in liquid ethane reveal the presence of two regions of linear dependence of the velocities vs. electric field intensity. From the slopes of these plots, two different mobilities are calculated in the temperature range 111 to 216K. It is postulated that the electron may exist, in liquid ethane, depending on the electrical field, in two states, a solvated electron, es, and a nonlocalized or semifree electron, symbolized by e, the latter being formed by extracting the electron from its solvation shell under the influence of high electrical fields. The two mobilities μes and μes are then assigned to the respective species, es and e. In accord to the above hypothesis, an Arrhenius plot of 1nμes vs. (1/T) shows a rough linearity, (although some curvature of the plot exists). Also, in accord to the postulated two states of the electron in liquid ethane (at low and high electrical fields, respectively), the mobility μe results proportional to T−frsol3/2, as predicted approximately by the Cohen-Lekner theory of nonlocalized scattering electrons.