Absolute Differential Cross Sections for Small - Neutral-Neutral and Ion-Neutral Elastic Scattering at KEV Energies.

This thesis reports measurements of absolute cross sections, differential in angle, for elastic scattering of keV-energy atomic H and He projectiles from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H_ 2, and N _ 2 at laboratory scattering angles between 0.02^circ and 0.5 ^circ. It also reports measurements of absolute cross sections, differential in angle, for elastic scattering of keV-energy H^ + and He^ {+} projectiles from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe and H_ 2 at laboratory scattering angles between 0.04^ circ and 1.0^circ. Comparisons are made between measured differential cross sections and those calculated from various model potentials, revealing the range of validity of potentials appearing in the literature. Experimental cross sections are also integrated over the angular range to obtain partial total cross sections, which are compared with those appearing in the literature.