Time delay for resonant vibrational excitation in electron–molecule collisions

Abstract

An analysis of the time delay associated with vibrational excitation in electron–molecule collision is presented. It consists of a direct study of the time dependence of the process for three model systems. An electron wave packet, that is narrow in time, is sent on the target and the amplitudes in the different inelastic channels are studied as functions of time. The time delay is found to correspond to very different time effects: broadenings, shifts in time of the wave packet, but also complex distortions that cannot be represented by a time delay. The direct analysis of the scattered wave also provides new insights into the vibrational excitation process. It should be a useful tool to analyze complex collision processes.