The effect of multiple electron-electron scattering on the energy distribution of electrons in a correlated pair

A unit event of electron-electron scattering in LiF layers is studied by correlation spectroscopy of scattered electrons. The energy distribution of electrons in a correlated pair when a 15-to 55-eV free electron is scattered by a valence electron of LiF is studied. It is shown that single electron-electron scattering prevails and the distribution is uniform when the energy of the primary electron is below 25 eV. As the energy of the primary electron increases, the formation of correlated pairs of electrons with equal energies becomes the most probable. With the energy of the primary electron above 40 eV, the pairs with substantially different electron energies dominate. Such evolution of the energy distribution of the electrons in the pair stems from the fact that first one and then the other electron of the pair successively takes part in electron-electron scattering. A phenomenological model for the single scattering and double scattering of primary electrons in LiF films is considered. Results obtained indicate that the strengths of single scattering and double scattering channels become comparable at electron energies above 25 eV.