ELECTRON-PHONON, ELECTRON-ELECTRON AND ELECTRON SURFACE SCATTERING INMETALS FROM BALLISTIC EFFECTS

Ballistic effects are reviewed which allow the determination of scatte ring rates of local groups of electrons on the Fermi surface of metals . Significant progress in our understanding of scattering mechanisms h as been made in the last decade through the improved capabilities of h igh frequency size effects. The anisotropy of electron phonon scatteri ng has been shown to be a general rule; the electron-electron scatteri ng rate has been measured not only in transition metals, but also in s imple metals; new effects have been observed from scattering at the sa mple surface, supporting theoretical calculations of the electric fiel d distribution near the surface. A detailed comparison is made of expe rimental scattering rates obtained by different measuring techniques a nd of experimental and theoretical scattering rates in various metals.