The investigation of scattering phenomena is a major theme of modern physics. A scattered particle provides a dynamical probe of the target system. The practical problem of interest here is the scattering of a low energy electron by an N-electron atom. It has been difficult in this area of study to achieve theoretical results that are even qualitatively correct, yet quantitative accuracy is often needed as an adjunct to experiment. The present book describes a quantitative theoretical method, or class of methods, that has been applied effectively to this problem. Quantum mechanical theory relevant to the scattering of an electron by an N-electron atom, which may gain or lose energy in the process, is summarized in Chapter 1. The variational theory itself is presented in Chapter 2, both as currently used and in forms that may facilitate future applications. The theory of multichannel resonance and threshold effects, which provide a rich structure to observed electron-atom scattering data, is presented in Chapter 3. Practical details of the computational implementation of the variational theory are given in Chapter 4. Chapters 5 and 6 summarize recent appli cations of the variational theory to problems of experimental interest, with many examples of the successful interpretation of complex structural fea tures observed in scattering experiments, and of the quantitative prediction of details of electron-atom scattering phenomena.

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Authors and Affiliations

IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, USA

Robert K. Nesbet

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Variational Methods in Electron-Atom Scattering Theory
Authors: Robert K. Nesbet
Series Title: Physics of Atoms and Molecules
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8431-1
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media New York 1980
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-306-40413-9Due: 01 July 1980
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4684-8433-5Published: 11 September 2013
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4684-8431-1Published: 21 November 2013
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 228
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics, Nuclear Physics, Heavy Ions, Hadrons, Characterization and Evaluation of Materials

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

Front Matter

Quantum Mechanics of Electron — Atom Scattering

Variational Theory

Resonances and Threshold Effects

Computational Technique

Applications to One-Electron Atoms

Applications to Other Atoms

Back Matter

About this book