The scattering of electrons by atomic nitrogen

Abstract

Cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering of electrons by atomic nitrogen are calculated over an incident electron energy range from threshold to 35 eV using the R-matrix method. In most of the calculations the eight target states 1s22s2p3 4S0 2D0 and 2P0, 1s22s2p4 4Pe 2Pe 2De and 2Se and 1s22p5 2P0 of nitrogen are retained in the expansion of the total wavefunction. However in some of the calculations fewer target states are retained in order to compare with the results of earlier work. Apart from energies close to the 1s22s22p4 3Pe resonance state of N- the cross sections appear to have converged well.