Abstract
Differential cross sections (DCS) for inelastic electron scattering to the n = 2 states in helium have been measured at incident energies of 80, 100 and 120 eV. These DCS have been determined across the complete angular scattering range (0-180°) using a magnetic angle changer (MAC) with a soft-iron core. The convergent close-coupling (CCC), R-matrix with pseudostates (RMPS), and B-spline R-matrix (BSR) methods have been used to calculate these DCS. Agreement between the experimental data and the predictions from these highly sophisticated theoretical methods is generally good. The remaining discrepancies mainly occur at small and large angles for the triplet states 23S and 23P, whereas excellent agreement is found between 30° and 150°. The small-angle differences are likely due to contamination of the observed experimental signal from the neighbouring 21S and 2 1P states. The present results demonstrate the effective use of a soft-iron core MAC for DCS measurements at intermediate energies, extending the operational energy range of such devices by a factor of approximately 25.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 045209 |
Journal | Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 1 Feb 2011 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 28 Feb 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |