The scattering of low-energy electrons by diatomic molecules

Abstract

Calculations on low-energy electron scattering from molecular hydrogen have shown the importance of both polarization and exchange in electron-diatomic-molecule collisions. In 1970 Burke and Sin Fai Lam developed within a fixed-body frame a general theory for low-energy electron scattering from closed-shell diatomic molecules and applied it to e-+N2. They obtained only qualitative agreement with experiment. The reasons appear to be twofold. Firstly, they omitted polarization, and secondly, they failed to ensure convergence in the single-centred expansions employed in the theory. These inadequacies are corrected and satisfactory agreement with existing experimental data for electron-nitrogen scattering is shown to be possible.