Approach to electron-impact ionization that avoids the three-body Coulomb asymptotic form

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.56.1958· OSTI ID:538504

McCurdy, C W ^[1]; McCurdy, C W; Byrum, D ^[2]; Rescigno, T N ^[3]

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1. Computing Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
2. Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
3. Physics and Space Technology Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

We propose a general approach to the electron-impact ionization problem that involves two distinct steps. First, using exterior complex scaling, we calculate the outgoing portion of the scattering wave function without explicit use of boundary conditions for ionization or any other channel. Once that wave function is known for a finite region of space, we make use of a general formula for extracting the integral cross section for the breakup process from any wave function. That formula is a projected form of the optical theorem and has no relation to complex coordinates or other methods of computing the scattering wave function. A preliminary calculation on the s-wave radial limit form of electron{endash}hydrogen-atom ionization is presented in excellent agreement with calculations by other approaches. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098; W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 538504
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 56; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
HYDROGEN
IONIZATION
SCATTERING
WAVE FUNCTIONS