Connection between superelastic and inelastic electron-atom collisions involving polarized collision partners.

Abstract

It is shown how the results of a recent experiment by Jiang, Zuo, Vu\ifmmode \check{s}\else \v{s}\fi{}kovi\ifmmode \acute{c}\else \'{c}\fi{}, and Bederson [Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 915 (1992)], who investigated low-energy electron scattering from laser-excited polarized sodium atoms in the initial (3p) $^{2}$P${\mathrm{\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}}_{3/2}$ (F=3, ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{F}}$=3) state, can be related to the inelastic 3S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3P transition involving initially unpolarized electron and atom beams. Hence, this method can provide an independent check of the traditional electron-scattering experiment with unpolarized beams.