Multicenter three-distorted-wave approach to three-dimensional images for electron-impact-ionization dynamics of molecules: Overall agreement with experiment

Abstract

We report on a multicenter three-distorted-wave (MCTDW) approach to describe the electron-impact-ionization dynamics of molecules. In MCTDW, both the scattered projectile and the ejected electrons are described by distorted waves. The continuum wave functions of the incident and the two outgoing electrons are solved in the multicenter potential of neutral molecule and molecular ion, respectively. The fully differential cross section is then obtained for a given molecular orientation. Here, we present the spherically averaged triple-differential cross sections of water molecule by 81 eV electron impact. The results show good agreement with experiment in three-dimensional kinematics concerning both the angular dependence and the relative magnitude of the cross sections over a large range of analyzed angle and energy conditions.