Electron Thermalization in Polar Media

Mozumder s (1988) conjecture on electron thermalization, trapping and solvation time scales in liquid water is based on combining the following theoretical and experimental information  

Migus et al. s (1987) delineation of the formation of a primary species absorbing in the IR, which develops in -110 fs and which transforms to the well-known spectrum of the hydrated electron in -240 fs, which is consistent with the longitudinal dielectric relaxation time of water (Mozumder, 1969a, b). 

Schnitker et al. s (1986) finding, based on classical molecular dynamics simulation, of a large density (4.4 ml-1 at 10°C) of local potential minima qualifying as trapping sites. 

The experimental demonstration by Knapp et ad. (1987) that an electron can be bound to water clusters (H20)n under collision-free condition for n 10. 

Extrapolation (admittedly very approximate) of the thermalization time in humid air by microwave conductivity method (Warman et al, 1984) giving tth 4.5 x 10-15 s for unit water fraction. 

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