Basic Data of Ionized Gas Physics

An ionized gas can a priori contain the following types of particle: photons, electrons, atoms, diatomic or polyatomic molecules, atomic or molecular positive ions and atomic or molecular negative ions. A study of the properties of ionized gases must therefore be based on the fundamental data on the interactions between these particles, i.e. elastic or inelastic collision cross-sections and the probability of induced or spontaneous transitions. From these basic data it is possible to calculate theoretically certain elementary macroscopic properties such as ion and electron mobility, diffusion coefficients, Townsend's first coefficient, recombination and attachment coefficients. These results (cross-sections and elementary macroscopic properties) constitute as a body the basic data for the physics of ionized gases. The paper is devoted to these basic data, concentrating on cross-sections, mobilities and diffusion coefficients. Beginning with a brief review of the literature, it consists essentially of tables of suggested numerical values, which the author intends to be used as a basis for discussion. Experts in each of the phenomena are invited to indicate values which seem to them better than those selected, and to fill in, where possible, the gaps in this study. In this way it is hoped that by the next Conference a more precise and more complete collection of data will be available. (author)