Energy partitioning in {sup 1}S-wave electron-impact ionization of atomic hydrogen

Journal Article · Mon Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.032705· OSTI ID:21408430

Shakeshaft, Robin ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0484 (United States)

Results of calculations of the integrated cross section and the energy distribution for ionization of ground-state hydrogen by {sup 1}S-wave electron impact are presented. The breakup amplitude is expressed as a volume integral that contains an approximate final-state wave function which accounts for postcollision dynamic screening. The error in this wave function is accounted for by the response function, which is represented on a real discrete (Sturmian) basis, with its physical branch specified by the arrow of time. It is found that the energy distribution is primarily convex for impact energies from about 2 to 10 eV above threshold, and primarily flat from about 10 to 20 eV above threshold. The shape of the energy distribution appears to reflect both the competition between escape and recapture, and the substantial postcollision exchange of energy between the electrons. A rough, nonclassical criterion for predicting the curvature of the energy distribution is derived.

• OSTI ID: 21408430
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 81, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.032705; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AMPLITUDES
APPROXIMATIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
ERRORS
EV RANGE 01-10
EV RANGE 10-100
GROUND STATES
HYDROGEN
INTEGRALS
IONIZATION
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
WAVE FUNCTIONS
CALCULATION METHODS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY RANGE
EV RANGE
FERMIONS
FUNCTIONS
LEPTONS
NONMETALS
SPECTRA