Evaluation of angular scattering models for electron-neutral collisions in Monte Carlo simulations

In Monte Carlo simulations of electron transport through a neutral background gas, simplifying assumptions related to the shape of the angular distribution of electron-neutral scattering cross sections are usually made. This is mainly because full sets of differential scattering cross sections are rarely available. In this work simple models for angular scattering are compared to results from the recent quantum calculations of Zatsarinny and Bartschat for differential scattering cross sections (DCS's) from zero to 200 eV in argon. These simple models represent in various ways an approach to forward scattering with increasing electron energy. The simple models are then used in Monte Carlo simulations of range, straggling, and backscatter of electrons emitted from a surface into a volume filled with a neutral gas. It is shown that the assumptions of isotropic elastic scattering and of forward scattering for the inelastic collision process yield results within a few percent of those calculated using the DCS's of Zatsarinny and Bartschat. The quantities which were held constant in these comparisons are the elastic momentum transfer and total inelastic cross sections.