A Model for Energy Deposition in Liquid Water

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Abstract
Recent optical absorption measurements for liquid water in a vacuum UV show both a redistribution of oscillator strengths relative to the gas phase, and the possible existence of a collective oscillation (plasmon). The effects of such a plasmon on the partition of energy deposited by fast electrons were investigated for applications in radiation biology. A heuristic model of the liquid based primarily upon the extensive body of gas phase generalized oscillator strength data was developed. The model has 1 major free parameter, the strength of the 21.4 eV plasmon. Using standard resonance shapes to approximate the energy loss spectrum of the plasmon, the water plasmon has an oscillator strength of 2 (.+-. about 0.6) and a half-width of about 3.5 eV. The slowing down of an electron in liquid water according to continuous-slowing-down theory, and after allowing for plasmon decay, compare the yields for the liquid and gas phases. When the plasmon decays by ionization it produces a spectrum of only subexcitation electrons. A modest change occurs in the yields with the eV/ion-pair lowered from 30.7 in the gas to 28.5 in the liquid.

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