Theory of Subexcitation Electron Scattering by Molecules. II. Excitation and De-Excitation of Molecular Vibration

Abstract

The proposed mechanism for the excitation and de‐excitation of molecular vibration by slow electron impact involving compound negative‐ion states as intermediates is studied in some detail in light of the theory presented in Paper I of this series. The absolute orders of magnitude of the cross sections for such collisional processes are calculated for the (N₂, e) system, where detailed measurements have recently been made for the excitation of the ground N₂ molecules to various excited vibrational states. The observed multipeak structures for the excitation functions are accounted for. The energy dependence of the cross sections for the excitation and de‐excitation of a vibrationally excited N₂ molecule exhibits similar multipeak structures in the same energy region. An interpretation of such multipeak structures is offered.