Electron induced ionisation of C3 to C6 ethanoates

Abstract

The present article reports the calculation of electron impact total ionisation cross sections for C₃ to C₆ ethanoates for the energy range from the ionisation threshold of the target to 5000 eV. Spherical complex optical potential and complex scattering potential ionisation contribution methods were employed to calculate the cross sections. The results presented here show a consistent variation with previous measurements and theoretical values, wherever available. The dependence of the isomeric effect on the ionisation cross section was also studied. A plot of the peak of ionisation cross section against the square root of the ratio of polarisability to ionisation potential and with the number of carbon atoms in each target exhibits strong correlations. The polarisabilities of C₅ and C₆ ethanoates were estimated from the correlation plot.