Scattering cross sections and collision integrals for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions

Abstract

Collisions between nitrogen (N) and nitrogen ion (N+) are fundamental phenomena in the Earth and planetary atmospheres. In this work, we carried out a theoretical study of collision data for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions, including scattering cross sections and collision integrals. Potential energy curves of N2+ are obtained using the state-of-the-art ab initio method and then used to provide the input for calculations of resonant charge exchange and elastic cross sections. The inelastic (corresponding to the resonant charge exchange process), elastic, and total collision integrals for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions are computed at 500 − 50 000 K. An analysis of the collision integrals shows that the elastic collision process should not be neglected for odd-order collision interactions at low temperatures and still makes a small contribution at high temperatures. Note that this is the first time that the cross sections and collision integrals for the N(4S)–N+(1D) interaction are calculated using ab initio potential energy points. The obtained cross sections and collision integrals are essential to model the transport properties of the related plasmas.