binaryExcitation

binaryExcitation

Works with VSimPD license.

Models the electron-impact of a kinetically modeled species of neutral gas or ions. In the process, the incident electron is scattered and loses the threshold energy. The scattered electron energy is given by:

\[\epsilon_{sc} = \epsilon_{inc} - \epsilon_{ex}\]

where \(\epsilon_{inc}\) and \(\epsilon_{ex}\) are the incident electron energy and the excitation threshold energy, respectively.

Note

Currently supports the electron-impact xenon neutral excitation, electron-impact singly charged xenon ion excitation, and electron-impact doubly charged xenon ion excitation interaction when using the builtIn cross-section type.

binaryExcitation Parameter

crossSection (string)

cross-section to be used in the interaction. Possible values are builtIn, eedl or functionDefined. See below for required parameters for each choice.

inSpeciesA (string, required)

Name of the impact electron species.

inSpeciesB (string, required)

Name of the impact neutral gas or ions.

intElecMass (real, optional)

Mass of the impact electron species. If not specified its value is obtained from the mass specified in the inSpecies species block.

thresholdEnergy (real, optional)

Excitation threshold energy. Default is set to 0.0.

builtIn Parameters

Please see Types of collisions for the available builtIn gases.

eedl Parameters

If the eedl cross-section type is used, the following parameters must be set:

crossSectionDataFile (string)

This parameter is necessary when crossSection = eedl is specified and points to the file containing the EEDL data.

functionDefined Parameters

If the functionDefined cross-section type is used, the following parameters must be set:

OAFunc (block, required)

An OAFunc block of name crossSectionFunc must be used inside the Interaction block. The OAFunc block allows the user to define its own cross-section for the interaction, either through a two-column data file or through an expression. The kinds of OAFunc available for this interaction are interpolatedFromFile, LXcatFile, or expression. The OAFunc must return the value of the cross-section in m2.

Please see OAFunc Block for more information on the OAFunc block.

crossSectionVariable (string, optional, default = energy)

Used in the case when an OAFunc function is given for the cross section to specify whether the parameter of the function is either the:

  • Relative collision velocity magnitude of the incident particle in m-1: crossSectionVariable = velocity
  • Kinetic energy of the incident particle in eV: crossSectionVariable = energy

Example binaryExcitation Block

<Interaction excitation>
  kind= binaryExcitation
  crossSection = builtIn
  thresholdEnergy = 19.10
  inSpeciesA = electrons
  inSpeciesB = xenon2
</Interaction>