Ionization and Attachment Coefficients in n-Alkyl Chloride Gases

WE have measured ionization coefficients in the five n -alkyl chloride gases, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and amyl chloride, using an experimental apparatus similar to that described by Geballe and Harrison 1 . Despite the fact that these gases contain a halogen atom, they exhibit no detectable electron attachment to form negative ions. The present work constitutes part of an experimental programme for measuring ionization and attachment coefficients in a large variety of electronegative gases. We hope that such data will serve as a guide for the correlation of these coefficients, important to an understanding of the electrical breakdown of gases, with molecular structure.