Quantum-Mechanical Transition Probabilities for Atom–Atomic-Oscillator Collisions with Morse Potential Interaction

Abstract

Exact quantum‐mechanical transition probabilities for the collision of an atom with an atomic oscillator for the case in which the interaction has the form of a Morse potential are obtained by numerical integration of the relevant close‐coupled scattering equations. These transition probabilities are compared with approximate ones calculated from distorted‐wave theory over a range of parameters which have been of interest in examining the collision of helium atoms with a tungsten surface. Some information is obtained concerning the range of validity of the first‐order theory, and certain suggestions that have appeared in the literature for correcting the distorted‐wave results are found to be inadequate.