Am. Gulian et D. Vanvechten, CASCADE MODELING IN SUPERCONDUCTORS - PRODUCTION, REGISTRATION AND IMPLICATIONS OF BRANCH IMBALANCE POTENTIAL, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 370(1), 1996, pp. 107-109
The mechanism for creation of electron-hole branch imbalance in superc
onductors subjected to high-energy particle/radiation bombardment is c
onsidered. The physical basis for the production of imbalance lies in
the geometrical difference between the densities of states in phase sp
ace for electron- and hole-like excitations in metals. The requirement
of charge neutrality fails to prevent branch imbalance only in superc
onductors. Using appropriately modified kinetic equations, numerical s
olutions for the distribution functions of electron- and hole-excitati
on branches are obtained under steady state, non-equilibrium condition
s. Recent experimental results on the response of Nb to pulsed laser e
nergy deposition are also discussed. An order of magnitude estimate fo
r the case of a 10 keV X-ray quantum detection is made.