Electron translation and asymptotic couplings in low-energy atomic collisions
Abstract
The calculation of cross sections for inelastic and charge-exchange atomic collisions encounters a principal difficulty. The coordinates used to describe the collision event are usually not appropriate for the description of the collision partners long before and after the collision. As a consequence, the coupling matrix elements that govern inelastic transitions can remain nonzero for large internuclear distance. We present a simple procedure to deal with this situation in the framework of a full quantum-mechanical treatment. It applies to radial as well as rotational coupling mechanisms. We demonstrate the practical applicability by numerical examples.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- November 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.64.052701
- Bibcode:
- 2001PhRvA..64e2701B
- Keywords:
-
- 34.10.+x;
- 34.50.Fa;
- 34.70.+e;
- General theories and models of atomic and molecular collisions and interactions;
- Electronic excitation and ionization of atoms;
- Charge transfer