Analytic electron impact inelastic cross sections for water vapor and a study of energy deposition

Abstract

Electron impact cross sections for various electronic excited states and for ionization of water vapor are represented by analytic forms that cover non-relativistic as well as relativistic energy region. This inelastic cross section set may serve as a convenient input for electron transport calculations relevant in several fields. With this cross section input an electron energy deposition study has been carried out using a Monte Carlo simulation giving excitation and ionization yields, the Fano factor and the subexcitation spectra for initial energies up to 1 MeV.