Low-energy e--H2 elastic cross sections using discrete basis functions

Abstract

Differential elastic cross sections for the scattering of electrons by hydrogen molecules are calculated for incident momenta ≤0.7 a.u. Calculations are performed using a Gaussian basis-set expansion technique developed previously by the authors for use with nonspherical potentials. With the static-exchange model, cross sections are computed in the body-fixed frame and then averaged over molecular orientations. Our results agree well with those of previous workers. The method is economical and has wide applicability to the electron-molecule scattering problem.