Continuum orbital approximations in weak-coupling theories for inelastic electron scattering

Abstract

Two approximations, motivated by heavy-particle scattering theory, are tested for weak-coupling electron-atom (ion) inelastic scattering theory. They consist of replacing the one-electron scattering orbitals by their Langer uniform approximations and the use of an average trajectory approximation which entirely avoids the necessity for generating continuum orbitals. Numerical tests for a dipole-allowed and a dipole-forbidden event, based on Coulomb-Born theory with exchange neglected, reveal the error trends. It is concluded that the uniform approximation gives a satisfactory prediction for traditional weak-coupling theories while the average approximation should be limited to collision energies exceeding at least twice the threshold energy. The accuracy for both approximations is higher for positive ions than for neutral targets. Partial-wave collision-strength data indicate that greater care should be exercised in using these approximations to predict quantities differential in the scattering angle. An application to the $2s{}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}S-2p{}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P$ transition in Ne viii is presented.