Modified two-centre continuum wavefunction: application to the dissociative double ionization of H2 by electron impact

Abstract

The fully differential cross section (FDCS) of the double ionization of the hydrogen molecule by electron impact, with the coincidence detection of the two ejected and the scattered electrons, is determined by the application of a product of two modified two-centre Coulomb continuum (MTCC) wavefunctions describing the two ejected electrons. The MTCC, which fulfils the correct boundary conditions asymptotically up to the order O((kr)−2), is obtained in a closed analytical form by solving the Schrödinger equation of an electron with wave vector k and position vector r in the Coulomb field of two fixed nuclei. After the study of the variation of the (FDCS) for some typical geometries the multiply differential cross section of the (e, 3 − 1e) process is determined and compared to the experimental values.