Modified binary encounter Bethe model for electron-impact ionization

TL;DR

This paper introduces simplified modified binary encounter Bethe (MBEB and MRBEB) models for calculating electron-impact ionization cross sections, requiring only one atomic parameter and showing comparable or better accuracy than existing models.

Contribution

The paper presents new simplified ionization cross section models (MBEB and MRBEB) that are easier to use and require fewer parameters than previous models, applicable from threshold to relativistic energies.

Findings

Accurately predict K-, L-, and M-shell ionization cross sections for atoms Z=6 to 83.

Models perform as well as or better than existing complex models.

Validation against experimental data confirms the models' effectiveness.

Abstract

Theoretical expressions for ionization cross sections by electron impact based on the binary encounter Bethe (BEB) model, valid from ionization threshold up to relativistic energies, are proposed. The new modified BEB (MBEB) and its relativistic counterpart (MRBEB) expressions are simpler than the BEB (nonrelativistic and relativistic) expressions because they require only one atomic parameter, namely the binding energy of the electrons to be ionized, and use only one scaling term for the ionization of all sub-shells. The new models are used to calculate the K-, L- and M-shell ionization cross sections by electron impact for several atoms with Z from 6 to 83. Comparisons with all, to the best of our knowledge, available experimental data show that this model is as good or better than other models, with less complexity.