Directed motion of electrons in gases under the action of photon flux

The phenomenon of directed motion of electrons and ions in gases under the action of ionizing radiation pressure is investigated. It is shown that for photon energies from the thresholds of atomic photoionization to several keV the photoionization process is the main mechanism for the transfer of electromagnetic radiation momentum to an atom. Expressions for the drag currents that appear under the action of ionizing radiation in atomic gases and their mixtures are obtained. The connection between the drag currents and one of the nondipole asymmetry parameters is established. Experimental investigation of the drag currents for use in precision measurement of the asymmetry parameters is discussed, particularly for small photoelectron energies where it is difficult to apply the traditional experimental schemes to measure the differential cross sections for photoionization. Nondipole parameters for the Ne 2s, Ne 2p, and Ar 1s subshell photoionization are calculated and compared with measurements and other calculations. Partial drag currents for the Ne 2s, Ne 2p, and Ar 1s subshells are also presented.