Electron swarm experiments in dense rare gases: a review

Abstract

Swarm techniques have largely been used to investigate electron transport in very dilute gases in order to shed light on the electron-atom (molecule) scattering cross section and, hence, on the interaction potential. The theoretical basis for the analysis of these experiments is classical Kinetic Theory. However, electron transport in dense media, either in gaseous- or condensed phase, is a physical phenomenon of fundamental and practical interest. Dense rare gases are model systems for disordered media. They are particularly well suited to investigate how the dynamics and energetics of quasifree electrons change as the environment density is gradually increased. A review on the electron swarm experiments in dense rare gases is presented here.