Energy unresolved differential cross section for electron scattering by H2

Abstract

Elastic, inelastic, and total energy unresolved differential cross sections for high energy electron scattering by the hydrogen molecule have been computed in the first Born approximation. An accurate wave function in the form of a 36-term expansion in correlated Gaussian functions was used for the electronic ground state of H2. The computed quantities have been averaged over the zero point vibrations and over thermal populations of the rotational states. The results are compared with the data derived from experiments.