Electron Interaction Cross Sections in Al and Al2O3; Calculations of Mean Free Paths, Stopping Powers, and Electron Slowing-Down Spectra

The prospects for obtaining better theoretical calculations of experimentally interesting electron interaction effects, over a wide range of electron energies, are now considerably improved through the development of models for valence electron excitation in simple insulators and through the availability of theoretical atomic generalized oscillator strengths for inner shell electron excitation in several low-Z atomic systems. We describe briefly the way in which this information may be used to calculate mean free paths, stopping powers, and electron slowing-down spectra in Al metal and the insulator Al2O3.