Photoelectron collection efficiency in a xenon atmosphere: a Monte Carlo study

A detailed Monte Carlo simulation is used to investigate the effective collection efficiency of photocathodes in xenon, having in mind a better understanding of the physics involved in the emission of electrons by photoelectric effect from photocathodes in gaseous media, in the presence of an applied electric field. The calculations take into account the variation of the electron energy along the free paths and the anisotropy of the scattering, as well as the contribution of the cathode image potential to the total potential. The case of 7.2 eV photon-induced electron emission from a CsI photocathode is analyzed, and results are presented for p/sub Xe/=100, 760, 3040 and 6080 Torr and for applied reduced electric fields in the range lower than E/N=20 Td, the onset of charge multiplication.