The Ionization of Liquid Argon by a-Particles

Abstract

Calculations suggest that in liquid argon the column of ionization produced by :an a-particle consists of a core of positive charge 0·6?1 ·5×10?5 cm in diameter concentric with a larger cloud of electrons extending to a diameter of 40×10?5 cm. This leads to a new description of charge separation in an applied electric field, in which the positive and negative charges are drawn apart slightly (polarized) and the more energetic electrons Bscape from the edge of the column.