Inelastic scattering of electron and light ion beams in organic polymers

We have calculated the inelastic mean free path, stopping power, and energy-loss straggling of swift electron, proton, and alpha-particle beams in a broad incident energy range in four organic polymers: poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Kapton, polyacetylene (PA), and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP). These calculations have been done through a suitable description of their optical properties and its extension into the whole momentum and energy transfer excitation spectrum. For electrons, we take into account the exchange effect between the projectile and the target electrons, while the charge-state fractions have been considered for ions. Our results are compared with other models and with the available experimental data. An excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained in the case of proton and alpha-particle beams in Kapton and a reasonably good agreement has been achieved for electron beams in PMMA, Kapton, and PA. We have parameterized by means of simple analytical expressions our results for electron beams interacting with these four polymers, which can be easily implemented in Monte Carlo calculations. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3581120]