Electron and positron scattering from the benzene derivative benzotrifluoride: Total and vibrational excitation cross sections

Abstract

Electron and positron cross sections have been investigated experimentally for scattering from benzotrifluoride $({\text{C}}_{6}{\text{H}}_{5}{\text{CF}}_{3})$ molecules over the energy range 0.2--1000 eV. The current results have been compared with our previous results for ${\text{C}}_{6}{\text{H}}_{6}$ molecules. Similar to ${\text{C}}_{6}{\text{H}}_{6}$, a peak has been observed in electron total cross sections (TCS) centered at 8.0 and a shoulder at about 40 eV. Vibrational excitation cross section experiments were carried out to probe the origin and nature of the 8 eV peak. For positron TCS, a broad peak spanning the region 0.8--15 eV and a change in slope at about 40 eV are observed with the only difference between the current results and those of ${\text{C}}_{6}{\text{H}}_{6}$ observed in the region 1--100 eV.