Differential Cross Sections and Cross-Section Ratios for the Electron-Impact Excitation of the Neon 2p⁵3s Configuration

Electron-impact differential cross-section measurements for the excitation of the 2p53s configuration of Ne are reported. The Ne cross sections are obtained using experimental differential cross sections for the electron-impact excitation of the n = 2 levels of atomic hydrogen [Khakoo et al., Phys. Rev. A 61, 012701-1 (1999)], and existing experimental helium differential cross-section measurements, as calibration standards. These calibration measurements were made using the method of gas mixtures (Ne and H followed by Ne and He), in which the gas beam profiles of the mixed gases are found to be the same within our experimental errors. We also present results from calculations of these differential cross sections using the R-matrix and unitarized first-order many-body theory, the distorted-wave Born approximation, and relativistic distorted-wave methods. Comparison with available experimental differential cross sections and differential cross-section ratios is also presented

Electron- and positron-molecule scattering: Development of the molecular convergent close-coupling method

Starting from first principles, this tutorial describes the development of the adiabatic-nuclei convergent close-coupling (CCC) method and its application to electron and (single-centre) positron scattering from diatomic molecules. We give full details of the single-centre expansion CCC method, namely the formulation of the molecular target structure; solving the momentum-space coupled-channel Lippmann-Schwinger equation; deriving adiabatic-nuclei cross sections and calculating V-matrix elements. Selected results are presented for electron and positron scattering from molecular hydrogen H2 and electron scattering from the vibrationally excited molecular hydrogen ion and its isotopologues (D2+, , HD+, HT+ and TD+). Convergence in both the close-coupling (target state) and projectile partial-wave expansions of fixed-nuclei electron- and positron-molecule scattering calculations is demonstrated over a broad energy-range and discussed in detail. In general, the CCC results are in good agreement with experiments

Vibrational kinetics of electronically excited states in H2 discharges

The evolution of atmospheric pressure hydrogen plasma under the action of repetitively ns electrical pulse has been investigated using a 0D state-to-state kinetic model that self-consistently couples the master equation of heavy particles and the Boltzmann equation for free electrons. The kinetic model includes, together with atomic hydrogen states and the vibrational kinetics of H2 ground state, vibrational levels of singlet states, accounting for the collisional quenching, having a relevant role because of the high pressure. The mechanisms of excitations, radiative decay and collisional quenching involving the excited H2 states and the corresponding cross sections, integrated over the non-equilibrium electron energy distribution function (EEDF) to obtain kinetic rates, are discussed in the light of the kinetic simulation results, i.e. the time evolution during the pulse of the plasma composition, of the EEDF and of the vibrational distributions of ground and singlet excited states