Effective Potentials for Intermediate-Energy Electron Scattering: Testing Theoretical Models

Abstract

Electron scattering by molecules is important from a fundamental point of view as well as for many applications to practical concerns. An electron is the most elementary possible probe of a target. An electron scattering experiment can yield both structural and spectral information. From the chemist’s point of view the spectral information obtainable this way is often invaluable because the selection rules of photon spectroscopy are inoperative. In particular, at impact energies up to about 100 eV, many optically forbidden transitions appear very strongly in electron impact spectroscopy.1,2 The energy range from 10–100 eV is thus a very important one for chemistry, and it is often called the intermediate energy range for electron scattering.3 Data on electron scattering cross sections at energies below 100 eV are also required for understanding electron mobilities, discharges, flames, radiation chemistry and radiation biology, electron-impact laser initiation, magnetohydrodynamic power generators and other devices containing plasmas, the atmosphere of the planets (especially the upper atmosphere of the earth), the interstellar medium, and stars (including the sun).4,5