Abstract
Relativistic distorted-wave studies by Fontes et al. [Phys. Rev. A 47, 1009 (1993)] demonstrated that the generalized Breit interaction (equivalently, the M$\o{}$ller interaction) can affect electron-impact excitation cross sections of hydrogenlike ${\mathrm{U}}^{91+}$ by more that 50$%$ in comparison to calculations that employ the Coulomb interaction alone. We present calculations that investigate the effects of both the M$\o{}$ller interaction and close coupling in the calculation of electron-impact excitation cross sections. Electron scattering from ${\mathrm{U}}^{91+}$ is used as a test case. The relativistic convergent close-coupling (RCCC) method is nonperturbative and we emphasize the restrictions and subsequent limitations associated with employing the M$\o{}$ller interaction in the RCCC method.
Highlights
The first order relativistic distorted wave calculations of electron-impact excitation of highly charged ions by Fontes [1] have shown that the Generalized Breit interaction can significantly affect cross sections by up to 50% in comparison to Coulombonly interaction calculations
Close-coupling calculations are required to resolve resonance features in electron impact excitation cross sections; resonant features are absent in first order perturbative calculations and yet such resonances can have a significant contribution to effective collision strengths obtained by integrating over Maxwellian distributions of electron velocities corresponding to temperatures found in astrophysical and torrential fusion plasmas
The issues surrounding the use of the Møller interaction in a non-perturbative formalism are discussed in detail in [2], and presented in the same work are excitation cross sections for electron impact on hydrogenlike uranium
Summary
The first order relativistic distorted wave calculations of electron-impact excitation of highly charged ions by Fontes [1] have shown that the Generalized Breit interaction (equivalently the Møller interaction) can significantly affect cross sections by up to 50% in comparison to Coulombonly interaction calculations.
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