Inelastic collision characteristics of electrons in liquid water

Abstract

Calculations of inelastic mean-free-paths and collision stopping-powers for low energy electrons (<10 keV) in liquid water are presented and compared with the existing values in the literature. A semi-empirical inelastic model was developed which makes use of (a) the dielectric formalism for the valence shells responsible for condensed-phase effects, and (b) the binary-encounter-approximation for the K-shell. The energy and momentum dependence dielectric-response function of liquid water was constructed based on a modified Drude model, optical data, and appropriate dispersion algorithms. Binding effects for the K-shell were based on the initial (unperturbed) molecular state. Calculations were performed under the first Born approximation with the inclusion of empirical correction functions at very low energies (<300 eV).