Alkali ions mobility in parent vapor

Abstract

Сеrtain approximations of mobility coefficients for the metal atoms’ ions in parent vapor are investigated,
a comparison between experimental data was drawn, and Monte Carlo calculations are performed. In
contrast to ions of noble gases, ions and atoms of alkali metals have a number of features that must be
considered when building a model of ion-atom collisions. Approximations for mobility coefficients for
the alkali ions in parent vapor are given, they are valid not only in the weak electric field limit, but also in
strong fields, when ion heating enacts in external electric field. On the basis of the analysis of Monte
Carlo calculations and comparing them with experimental data on the mobility of alkali metal ions in
noble gases, we obtain approximation formulas for the mobility of alkali metal ions in parent vapors. The
parameters found earlier for the approximation of the drift velocity of ions of noble gases are also given
as a reference material. The parameters obtained in this work for the approximation of the mobility of
alkali metal ions in parent vapors can be used to estimate the characteristics of a gas-discharge plasma.