Relativistic electron cyclotron theory,revisited

Summary The stages of the relativistic theory leading from the Maxwell-Vlasov system to the absorption and emission coefficients for electromagnetic electron cyclotron waves in a thermonuclear magnetoactive plasma are critically followed, with a particular attention to the approximations involved. Simple and general forms are obtained, holding to arbitrary order in the electron Larmor radius expansion. The applicability limits of the lowest order in this expansion are analysed.     

Quantum theory of electron stimulated desorption

The process of electron stimulated desorption of adsorbates from metal surfaces is investigated within the framework of quantum mechanical scattering theory. The Born-Oppenheimer adiabatic approximation is assumed to be valid for the adsorbate motion. The transition amplitude for desorption via the resonant excitation of excited states of the adsorbate then can be factorized into an electronic excitation amplitude and a Franck-Condon factor. The Franck-Condon factor is more complicated than in molecules. The continuum of substrate excitations coupling to the adsorbate gives rise to an absorptive part of the Born-Oppenheimer potential governing the motion of the adsorbate in the excited state. This absorptive part leads to a considerable reduction of the desorption cross section. Explicit quantum mechanical expressions for the corresponding reduction factor are given.The desorption of neutrals is considered in some detail. It turns out that within the adiabatic approximation this process requires the existence of neutral excited states of the adsorbate. The reneutralization of ionic excited states by electron capture from the substrate back into the ground state of the adsorbate, while possible on purely energetical grounds, occurs with zero probability in the adiabatic approximation and thus cannot be responsible for the large abundance of neutral desorbing particles. Neutral excited states of the adsorbate in principle should show up in inelastic electron scattering. The relation between electron stimulated desorption cross sections and inelastic electron scattering cross sections is discussed briefly.     

Quantum theory of electron stimulated desorption

The process of electron stimulated desorption of adsorbates from metal surfaces is investigated within the framework of quantum mechanical scattering theory. The Born-Oppenheimer adiabatic approximation is assumed to be valid for the adsorbate motion. The transition amplitude for desorption via the resonant excitation of excited states of the adsorbate then can be factorized into an electronic excitation amplitude and a Franck-Condon factor. The Franck-Condon factor is more complicated than in molecules. The continuum of substrate excitations coupling to the adsorbate gives rise to an absorptive part of the Born-Oppenheimer potential governing the motion of the adsorbate in the excited state. This absorptive part leads to a considerable reduction of the desorption cross section. Explicit quantum mechanical expressions for the corresponding reduction factor are given.The desorption of neutrals is considered in some detail. It turns out that within the adiabatic approximation this process requires the existence of neutral excited states of the adsorbate. The reneutralization of ionic excited states by electron capture from the substrate back into the ground state of the adsorbate, while possible on purely energetical grounds, occurs with zero probability in the adiabatic approximation and thus cannot be responsible for the large abundance of neutral desorbing particles. Neutral excited states of the adsorbate in principle should show up in inelastic electron scattering. The relation between electron stimulated desorption cross sections and inelastic electron scattering cross sections is discussed briefly.On leave of absence from (present address) Physikdepartment der TUM, München-Garching and Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart     

On the theory of electron tunnelling

A generalized expression for the differntial tunnelling current density based on the problem of electron energy distribution introduced during the process has been presented. This is directly applicable to junction devices for the evaluation of their tunnelling I–V characteristics. A list of symbols appear at the end of the paper.     

Quasielastic electron scattering in relativistic mean-field theory

The density-dependent relativistic hadron (DDRH) field theory proposed recently is extended to investigate the longitudinal response function and the Coulomb sum rule in quasielastic electron scattering in the relativistic random phase approximation (RPA). The results in the DDRH model are compared with those in other models systematically. It is found that meson effective masses induced by the nonlinear terms in the nonlinear Walecka model should be used to obtain the meson Greens functions when the longitudinal response function and the Coulomb sum rule are calculated. The effects of the and mesons are clearly shown in quasielastic electron scattering, and the isospin-dependent attractive potential between nucleons due to the exchange of the -meson cancels the isospin-dependent repulsive contribution of the -meson to a certain extent. The obtained results in the DDRH model are in good agreement with experimental data except for the Coulomb sum rule in ²⁰⁸Pb.     

Quantum theory of a free electron laser

Spontaneous emission by electrons moving in a magnetic field constant in time and periodic in space (with circular polarization) is calculated using exact solutions of the corresponding Dirac equation. In addition to the known transitions we find two harmonics connected with spin flip processes, which are, however, strongly suppressed. The gain of the free electron laser is recalculated from the rate for spontaneous emission. The results obtained by classical methods are corroborated.Supported in part by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

A relativistic field theory of the electron

A set of nonlinear partial differential equations covariant in a non-Euclidean space is reduced to the Dirac equation for the electron and the Maxwell-Lorentz equations of electromagnetic fields under certain assumptions. In the course of reduction, we have opportunities for understanding the relationship between the Dirac equation and the Maxwell-Lorentz equations, and also for visualizing conditions which limit feasible applications of those known equations in physics.     

Perturbation theory in terms of electron density

When an inhomogeneous electron gas is subjected to a perturbation, its energy and density both change by small amounts. We calculate the changes in the energy explicitly in terms of the density changes within the density-functional theory of many-electron systems. We also derive the equations for the induced densities, and using these show that a density correct up to order n in terms of the perturbation parameter is sufficient to give energy changes up to order (2n + 1). As a corollary, the even-order energy changes E⁽²ⁿ⁾ are variational with respect to the density changes ?⁽ⁿ⁾. The equations for the induced densities also follow from this corollary. The even-order corollary also gives a variational method of calculating the induced densities. The theory is demonstrated by applying it to calculate the polarizability and hyperpolarizability of the hydrogen, helium and neon atoms.     

Kinetic theory description of electron stimulated desorption

A first principles kinetic theory is developed, applicable to angular dependent emission in Electron Stimulated Desorption. Expressions for the ionic and neutral atom ESD cross sections are formulated and applied in a model calculation of O⁺ emission from W(111). Strong focussing of the outgoing ions was found, with the use of a model ion-solid potential in which the substrate was free of excitation. Off-axis spot groups were simulated. The peak ion energies obtained with this model are, however, small compared to experimental energies for the high coverage case. The need to introduce substrate excitations to describe this case is discussed.     

On the theory of nonadiabatic bridge-mediated electron transfer

Effects of structural and energetic disorder on nonadiabatic electron transfer (ET) reactions are discussed theoretically. To account for the sequential as well as the superexchange mechanism of ET our recent approach is used presented in J. Phys. Chem. A 105, 10176 (2001). The overall charge motion is characterized by the numerical solution of rate equations for the electronic state populations and an averaging with respect to the disorder configurations. Introducing a single effective transfer rate which can be deduced from the experiment the dependence of this rate is discussed on the geometry of the ET system as well as on the disorder model. The theory is applied to donor-acceptor complexes connected by oligomers of the amino acid proline. In particular, a pronounced dependence is found of the effective transfer rate on disorder with respect to the reorganization energy.Received: 14 April 2003, Published online: 22 July 2003PACS: 34.10.+x General theories and models of atomic and molecular collisions and interactions (including statistical theories, transition state, stochastic and trajectory models, etc.) - 34.30.+h Intramolecular energy transfer; intramolecular dynamics; dynamics of van der Waals molecules - 31.70.Hq Time-dependent phenomena: excitation and relaxation processes, and reaction rates     

On the Fokker-Planck theory of electron three-body recombination

The Fokker-Planck theory of electron three-body recombination based on the concept of electron diffusion along the energy scale in the excited hydrogen-like atoms formed in the recombining plasmas, is extended in several respects. 1. An universal formula for population distribution of the excited atoms in strongly ionized plasmas was found under a sole assumption, that the cross-sections for the inelastic atom-electron collisions are governed by the classical impulse approximation. 2. A general Fokker-Planck theory of the recombination in a slightly ionized, two-temperature plasmas was formulated. The recombination coefficients for such plasmas were shown to possess some peculiar properties in case the electronic temperature differs appreciable from the atomic one. A few limitations of the existing schemas for calculation of the recombination kinetics are briefly discussed.     

On the kineteic theory of electron cyclotron maser

This paper starts from the kinetic theory to expound the method of characteristics. Influence of the equilibrium distribution functionf _o upon analyzed result is fully investigated. Dispersion equation is rigorously derived in waveguide coordinate system in case of interaction between TE _mn field in a circular waveguide and a single momentum ring-shaped electron beam. In the meantime, we make some critical review of previous papers and clarify their confusion and ambiguities.     

Cascade theory of electron capture in quantum wells

A cascade theory of electron capture in shallow quantum wells, when the capture process is determined by the interaction with acoustic phonons, is constructed. In these conditions, the ejection of electrons falling into a well back to the conduction band is significant. The possibility of electron ejection is taken into account by introducing an sticking probability for electrons located in the well. Such an approach is analogous to the Lax cascade theory of electron capture at small impurity centers. Calculations have been performed for wells 3 and 4 nm in width in the Al_0.05Ga_0.95As/GaAs/Al_0.05Ga_0.95As heterostructure. The developed theory has also made it possible to describe thermal ejection of electrons from shallow quantum wells.