Low-Energy Electron Scattering From Atoms and Molecules: A Model

Abstract

A simple model is proposed for the calculation of free-electron wave functions for low-energy electrons incident upon neutral atoms. The region of interaction of the electron with the atom may be separated into three important regions of potential: Coulomb plus exchange, Coulomb, and far-field induced polarization. The division of regions is based on mathematical and physical reasons for the characteristic behavior of wave functions in the scattering problem. Examples are given for the elastic scattering of electrons from nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. The agreement with experiment and effective-range theory is good. The application of the method to the prediction of low-energy electron scattering from homonuclear diatomic molecules is discussed.