The role of many-electron correlations in fast electron-atom inelastic collisions

Abstract

The effect of many-electron correlations in the inelastic electron-atom scattering at high energies is investigated. The importance of these correlations is shown by comparison of the results of calculations with the best possible independent particle model and the experimental data. Many-electron correlations are included in the random phase approximation with exchange (RPAE) and the corresponding integral equation for the effective interaction is displayed. This equation has been solved numerically for argon, and generalized oscillator strength densities as well as the differential cross section were calculated. The results agree with the experiment quite well, showing thus the very important role the many-electron correlations play in the inelastic electron-atom scattering. The calculations confirm the relative importance of the monopole and the quadrupole transitions in the process under consideration.