https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-40713-7
Regular Article
A method to obtain static potentials for electron-molecule scattering*
1
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology
Roorkee, 247667
Roorkee,
India
2
Department of Physics and Astronomy, York
University, M3J 1P3
Toronto,
Canada
a
e-mail: rajsrfph@iitr.ernet.in
Received: 14 November 2013
Received in final form: 13 February 2014
Published online: 29 April 2014
We present a method for calculating the static potential of an arbitrary molecule which is represented by the well-known Gaussian wavefunctions. This potential is given in analytic form which, in additions to elementary functions, contains the error function for which simple and accurate methods for its evaluation exist. As an example we have used this potential, along with polarization-correlation and exchange potentials, to calculate the differential cross sections for the scattering of electrons from the water molecule in the energy range 30–100 eV. Comparison with previous calculations and experimental measurements show that this method produces accurate results for the differential scattering cross sections.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2014