Low energy electron scattering from molecules - measuring cross sections and investigating collision dynamics*

Electron scattering provides for a basic tool for studying the structure and dynamics of quantum interactions quantum physics appertaining to electron impact on atomic and molecular targets. A selected experimental system consisting of an impinging collimated electron beam on a target beam can provide such information.

We will present recent experimental results dealing with of the interaction of electrons with fundamental molecular targets. Here measurements of electron impact scattering cross-sections on dissociative electron capture, angular distribution of scattering and ionization of selected particles, it is possible to shed light on many interesting problems about the structure dependence and collision dynamics of electron-molecule molecular systems relevant to the electron impact process of interest. 

 

We will discuss several experimental setups, which provide independent measurements of the dissociative electron attachment and, high-resolution differential electron scattering cross-sections, involving conventional electrostatic and a newly developed time-of-flight spectrometer in our laboratory. Here we have set up crossed beam apparatus of electron-gas simple organic target molecules e.g. double-bond polyatomics such as C₃H₄O₃ (pyruvic acid), C₅H₄O₃ (furoic acid) and triple bond molecules: triple bond polyatomics such as CH₃CN (acetonitrile). Our incident electron energy range is of 0-20 eV a region which covers the formation of negative ion resonances which dominate the electron scattering. This is undertaken to provide data that is needed for quantum mechanical models of the electron-molecule collision system,  that are used in turn to model environments with free electrons, e.g. natural or man-made plasmas.