Electron Energy Loss in Oxygen Plasmas

The results of calculations of the energy deposition of energetic electrons in oxygen plasmas are given. In a pure oxygen plasma even with large fractional ionization, much of the electron energy results in the production of additional ionization and excited electronic states. Results are given for separate calculations using theoretical and experimental cross sections for the important O I excitations of ¹ S and ¹ D because the theoretical and experimental data are not in agreement. These results are useful for understanding the spectra of oxygen-rich supernova remnants.