Ion Mobility

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Ion Mobility

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In gaseous electric conduction, the average velocity with which a given ion drifts through a specified gas under the influence of an electric field of unit strength. Mobility's are commonly expressed in units of centimeters per second per volt per centimeter. Also called ionic mobility. </dd>
In a vacuum, a single gaseous ion subjected to any nonzero potential gradient would accelerate indefinitely; but in the midst of a gas the ion continually experiences collisions with gas molecules. These encounters tend to break up its trajectory into a series of short intervals of acceleration punctuated by deflections. The net result is that the ion's gross motion resembles drift at a uniform velocity. The mobility depends not only upon the nature of the ion and gas but also upon the density of the gas, for the latter controls the mean free path of the ion. </dd>

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use