Stokes parameters and differential cross sections for electron impact excitation of the J = 1, 2 and 3 states of neon

Abstract

Relativistic distorted-wave approximation calculations have been performed for the electron impact excitation of all the J = 1, 2 and 3 states of neon from the ground state. The results for differential cross sections and the Stokes parameters , i = 1-4, for the decay of the excited states by photon emission to the states are calculated at 50 and 80 eV incident electron energies. These results are compared with recent non-relativistic distorted-wave calculations and with experimental measurements for the Stokes parameters. The alignment and orientation parameters and are also presented and discussed. The overall agreement between our calculations for the Stokes parameters and experiment is satisfactory. More extensive experimental measurements would be desirable to provide additional comparisons with the theoretical data.