Excitation of H$_2$ by electron impact*

Cross sections for the excitation of H$_2$ by electron impact from its ground electronic state to the first two dipole- and spin-allowed electronic states (B and C) have been calculated by modifying plane-wave Born cross sections (BE scaling) as was done successfully for neutral atoms.\footnote{Y.-K. Kim, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 64}, 032713 (2001).} The scaled cross sections are in good agreement with the experimental data by Khakoo and coworkers.\footnote{M.A. Khakoo and S. Trajmar, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 34}, 146 (1986)}$^,$\footnote{J. Wrkich et al. J. Phys. B {\bf 35}, 4695 (2002).} Calcualtion of BE scaled excitation cross sections for other molecules is in progress, and the results will be presented at the conference.