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Townsend Ionization Constants in n-Alkanes

Abstract

WE recently measured the first Townsend ionization coefficient, α, in a series of n-alkyl chloride gases1, and found that the dependence of α on molecular structure in these gases was similar to, but different in detail from, that indirectly inferred in the hydrocarbon gases by Devins and Crowe2 and Heylen and Lewis3 from measurements of spanking potentials. In order to determine whether these differences are real or are the result of errors in analysis of the results for sparking potentials, we have undertaken the direct measurement of the first Townsend ionization coefficients in the n-alkane gases containing 1–6 carbon atoms.

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References

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  2. Devins, J. C., and Crowe, R. W., J. Chem. Phys., 25, 1053 (1956).

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LEBLANC, O., DEVINS, J. Townsend Ionization Constants in n-Alkanes. Nature 188, 219–220 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/188219a0

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