Electron impact single and double ionization of magnesium

Abstract

Electron impact single and double ionization cross-sections for magnesium have been calculated in the binary encounter model using accurate expression for (cross-section for energy transfer ΔE) as given by Vriens. Hartree-Fock velocity distributions for the target electrons have been used throughout the calculations. In case of double ionization contributions of inner shell ionization and Auger emission have been included in the present work. The results obtained in case of single ionization are excellent and at the same time the double ionization cross-sections show reasonably good agreement with the recent experimental observations. Substantiation of the viewpoint of Peach, and Boivin and Srivastava that a vacancy in the 2p shell of magnesium leads to double ionization is a remarkable feature of the present investigation.