Anisotropic Diffusion and the Townsend?Huxley Experiment

Abstract

The relationship between current ratios and electron diffusion coefficients for the Townsend-Huxley experiment is reanalysed with the assumption that diffusion can be represented by two coefficients DT and DL for diffusion transverse and parallel respectively to the applied electric field. When the new formula is used to interpret previous experimental data obtained with a diffusion tube of length 2 cm, the derived values of DT/fl become independent of pressure (fl being the electron mobility). For longer diffusion tubes (~ 6 cm), current ratios are insensitive to DL and the results differ insignificantly from those obtained using the formula previously derived on the assumption that diffusion is isotropic.