Simplified Monte Carlo simulation of elastic electron scattering in limited media

Abstract A practical method to simulate elastic electron scattering is described which represents an effective improvement upon currently available approximate simulation methods. Single scattering events are simulated by means of a differential cross section model given by a simple analytical expression, whose parameters are determined so as to exactly reproduce the values of the mean free path and the first and second transport mean free paths of the actual scattering process. These characteristic functions are obtainable, for any material, from partial wave calculations or from suitable approximations. The adopted cross section model is such that (i) it yields a simple analytical formula for the random sampling of the angular deflection in individual elastic events and (ii) it permits the analytical formulation of mixed algorithms for simulating high-energy electrons. Results of detailed simulations of electron penetration through foils, obtained with the proposed cross section model and with accurate partial wave cross sections, show that the model provides a reliable description of elastic scattering in limited media.