Semiphenomenological optical model for electron scattering on atoms

Abstract

It is shown that it is possible to derive from first principles a form for a local, central, complex potential that fits elastic electron scattering on hydrogen at various energies with two free parameters. The energy-dependence of the parameters is discussed. Understanding of the optical model based on hydrogen enables the authors to use published Hartree-Fock calculations to construct a potential that gives excellent fits to argon at several energies with no free parameters. In all cases, the total reaction cross section, obtained from independent experimental information, is used to determine the strength of the imaginary part of the potential.