Photoionization of polydimethylsiloxane oils and determination of the associated parameters

Photoionization photocurrents were generated using monophotonic VUV irradia tion of two polymethylsiloxane oils of different viscosities. Ionization th resholds were deduced. Photoionization quantum yields and thermalization di stances of thermalized photoelectrons were extracted, using Onsager theory, from experimental curves giving the photocurrent as a function of applied electric field. Using the semi-empirical method set-up by Baird, the spatia l distribution function of the thermalized photoelectrons was determined at different energies.