Collective aspects of charged particle track structure

A plasmon generated by a swift charged particle constitutes a coherent excitation about the particle track. We discuss the representation of collective modes in impact parameter space when created by a swift ion or a fast electron, and the decay of these modes into localized excitations. Several alternative spatial representations are considered. We show that the high spatial resolution found in secondary electron emission measurements with scanning electron microscopy is consistent with the existence of the plasmon as an intermediary between the fast incident electron and the measured secondary electrons. 24 refs., 6 figs