A reanalysis of the electron swarm development in nitrogen

Abstract
Electron swarm development in nitrogen is studied for E/N=85-1131 Td by a Boltzmann equation method using eighteen recently published electronic excitation cross-sections (those given by Cartwright et al. (1977) and Chutjian et al. (1977), summarised in Cartwright (1978)). The results show that the ionisation coefficient and the electron drift velocity are in good agreement with experiment if the electronic excitation cross-sections for the ten 'valence' states (Cartwright 1978), with threshold below 12.5 eV, are reduced by 15% and the same elastic momentum transfer, vibration, dissociation and ionisation cross-sections as in a previous work of Taniguchi et al. (1978) are used. The excitation frequencies for the respective electronic states are obtained and discussed.