Phenomenological treatments of cross sections for proton and hydrogen impact below 1 keV on molecular nitrogen

Abstract

An analytic independent‐particle model is used to construct static potentials to describe the interaction of hydrogenlike ions with atoms and molecules. Parameters of the ion–atom potential are determined from ab initio total energy minimization procedure. The elastic scattering of He⁺ from Ne and Ar is investigated as a test case and comparison is made with experiment. The model is then used in conjunction with low energy H⁺–N₂ experimental data to construct differential and total cross sections for the scattering of protons and hydrogen in the energy range 10 eV to 1 keV from molecular nitrogen. Analytic forms are used to parametrize these cross sections to facilitate their use in the calculation of energy deposition by protons and hydrogen atoms in atmospheric gases.