Elastic scattering of slow electrons from Mn, Zn and Cd atoms: First prediction of stable negative ions*

The appearance of a large peak in low energy electron -- atom elastic scattering total cross sections (TCSs) facilitates considerably the identification of the binding energies (BEs) of negative ions, formed during the collision as resonances [1]. Both relativistic and nonrelativistic calculations [2, 3] and coupled cluster and multireference methods[3] concluded that Mn, Zn and Cd atoms do not bind electrons to form stable negative ions. Crucial to the existence and stability of most negative ions are the electron correlations and core-polarization interactions. The recent Regge-pole methodology [4] wherein these physical effects are embedded is used to explore possible formation of stable negative ions of Mn, Zn and Cd through slow electron collisions. From the imaginary parts of the complex angular momenta, we conclude that all these atoms form stable weakly bound negative ions. Binding energies, shape resonances and Ramsauer-Townsend minima are presented. \\[4pt] [1] P. D. Burrow \textit{et al}, J. Phys. B \textbf{9}, 3225 (1976) \\[0pt] [2] Z. J. Wu \textit{et al}, Chem. Phys. Lett. \textbf{423}, 81 (2006) \\[0pt] [3] N. B. Balabanov~ \textit{et al}, J. Chem. Phys. \textbf{123}, 064107 (2005); \textbf{125}, 074110 (2006) \\[0pt] [4] D. Sokolovski \textit{et al}, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{76}, 012705 (2007)