Open AccessThe motion of electrons in gases
Author(s) -
H. A. Wilson
Publication year - 1923
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series a, containing papers of a mathematical and physical character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9150
pISSN - 0950-1207
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.1923.0039
Subject(s) - electron , mean free path , physics , atomic physics , electric field , thermal velocity , kinetic theory , chemistry , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics , mechanics , flow velocity , flow (mathematics)
The velocity (v ) of an electron in a gas, due to an electric field of strength X, is given approximately by theoretical formulav = 0·815 Xe λ/m V. wheree denotes the charge on the electron, λ its mean free path,m its mass, and V its mean velocity of thermal agitation. Townsend has made many determinations of this velocityv , and also of V, in several gases at different pressures (p ) and finds thatv is a function of X/p , and that the values of λ given by the above equation are of the same order, in most cases, as those deduced from the viscosity by means of the kinetic theory of gases. The equationv = 0·815Xe λ/m V is obtained by assuming that there is no persistence of velocities when electrons collide with gas molecules.