An investigation of the secondary electron kinetics and energy distribution in electron-beam-irradiated argon

The evolutions of the kinetics and of the energy distribution of the secondary electrons in argon gas during and following irradiation by a 350 ns 150 keV electron beam pulse have been studied quantitatively. The investigation was conducted by time-resolved infrared interferometry measurement of the secondary electron density for a wide range of experimental parameters and by comparison with a comprehensive time dependent kinetic code. From the comparison it was concluded that triatomic molecular ions Ar-3(+) play important roles in the kinetic reactions.