Positron transport in molecular gases in crossed electric and magnetic fields

Abstract

Abstract. Transport properties of positron swarms drifting and diffusing in neutral gases under the influence of crossed electric and magnetic fields are investigated using a multi-term theory for solving the Boltzmann equation and Monte Carlo simulation technique. In the presence of magnetic fields the number of transport properties is increased compared to the situation when the positron swarm is acted on solely by an electric field. Since the longitudinal and transverse components of the drift velocity show different sensitivities with respect to the strength of the magnetic field, it is found that the negative differential conductivity effect in a crossed field configuration can be controlled through the variation of the magnetic field strengths. Various diffusion tensor elements also exhibit different sensitivities with respect to the magnetic field and also with respect to the positronium (Ps) formation process.