Total (elastic plus inelastic) cross sections for electron scattering with argon and krypton atoms at energies 10-6000 eV

Abstract

Total cross sections (elastic plus inelastic) are reported for electron-Ar and Kr scattering at energies 10-6000 eV. A model complex-optical-potential (COP) approach is employed in which the real and imaginary parts are expressed in terms of the target electron density. For the real part of the COP, the static potential is determined exactly at the Hartree-Fock level, the exchange potential is approximated in the free-electron-gas model and the polarisation effects are included via the parameter-free correlation polarisation potential. The imaginary part of the COP, i.e. the absorption potential, is a function of projectile energy, target charge density, mean excitation energy of the atom, and static and the exchange potential terms. The charge density of the atom is obtained accurately from the numerical self-consistent Hartree-Fock procedure. The complex potential scattering problem is solved exactly under the variable-phase-approach. Our total cross sections compare very well with the measured values at all energies considered here. We also present differential cross sections (DCS) with and without absorption effects. We found that absorption effects improve the elastic DCS at all energies above the excitation threshold.