The electron impact ionization cross sections of methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol

Abstract

In the present investigation, the plane-wave Born approximation was employed to calculate the total ionization cross sections by electron impact of methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol from the threshold of ionization to 10 MeV. This method requires continuum generalized oscillator strengths (CGOSs). The two different semi-phenomenological expressions of CGOS, given by Mayol and Salvat and Weizsacker and Williams, along with approximated form of the continuum optical oscillator strength (COOS) by Khare et al. were used. Furthermore, the average of the above two CGOSs was also used. The calculated ionization cross sections were compared to the available previous theoretical results and experimental data. Out of three CGOSs, the present results with the average CGOS were found in good agreement with the available experimental results for all the considered molecules. Collision parameters CRP were also calculated from 0.1 to 100 MeV and the calculations were found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results of Reike and Prepejchal.