A phase shift analysis of electron-atom scattering. VI. Scattering by mercury at low energies

Abstract

For pt.V, see ibid., vol.7, no.16, 2203 (1974). A phase shift analysis has been made of elastic electron-mercury scattering in the energy range below the inelastic threshold, 0.5 to 4.5 eV. Varying the 0, 1+or-, 2+or-, 3+or- phase shifts a good simultaneous fit to the polarization, differential cross section and total cross section could not be found, apparently because of inconsistencies between the various sets of experimental data. In particular, it appears that the available measurements of the total cross sections are in error. The computed phase shifts agree reasonably with the relativistic, polarized orbital calculation of Walker (see abstr. A75726 of 1971), at 3.5 eV, but not with calculations made without allowance for atomic distortion.