Calculation of the single differential cross section for electron-impact ionization of atoms and molecules*

A technique has been developed for calculating the electron-impact ionization single differential cross section directly from the integrated cross sections of positive-energy pseudostates occuring in close-coupling methods. Using the cross sections arising in the convergent close-coupling method, the approach is first tested against the existing benchmark theoretical and experimental data for electron scattering on hydrogen and helium. It is then applied to electron scattering on molecular hydrogen yielding excellent agreement with experimental data when they are normalized to the total ionization cross section.