Convergent close-coupling calculations of electrons scattering on electronically excited molecular hydrogen

Abstract

We use the adiabatic-nuclei molecular convergent close-coupling method to perform calculations of 0.01--1000 eV electrons scattering on the $c^{3}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{u}$, $a^{3}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$, $B^{1}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$, $C^{1}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{u}$, and $EF^{1}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ states of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ in the $v=0$ vibrational level. Elastic, superelastic, ionization, and grand-total cross sections are presented, as well as cross sections for excitation of the $n=2$--3 singlet and triplet states of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ (where $n$ is the atomic-limit principle quantum number). Comparison with available theoretical results is made. Good agreement is found with the recent $R$-matrix results [J. Phys. B 53, 245203 (2020)] for most of the exchange and dipole-forbidden transitions, but not for the dipole-allowed transitions. The sources of disagreement were found to be an unconverged partial-wave expansion and the utilization of the fixed-nuclei approximation (as opposed to adiabatic-nuclei) in the $R$-matrix calculations.