Infinite-order sudden approximation for rotational excitation of hydrogen molecules by electrons in the energy range 10–40 eV

Abstract

Electron scattering by H₂ is treated using a noncentral interaction potential including short‐range and long‐range static contributions, exchange, and polarization effects. The molecule is treated as a rigid rotator and the scattering is treated in the infinite‐order sudden approximation. The results show that the rotational excitation cross section exceeds the elastic scattering cross section at large scattering angles at intermediate energies but not at small angles at low energies.