Rotational excitation in two-center Coulomb-scattering systems: Application to electron-molecule collisions.

Abstract

Rotational excitation in electron--diatomic-molecule collisions at intermediate collision energies (\ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{2}$ eV) is discussed within a quantum-mechanical two-center model using a Coulomb-scattering approximation. Rotational rainbow effects are discussed, in particular for heteronuclear diatomic molecules. The model is applied to collisional excitation of HCl and CO as well as to the homonuclear cases ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$. The model predictions are compared with recent experimental results as well as with elaborate numerical computations for the homonuclear systems.