building of atoms from ions + electrons

[ilper@abv.bg]

Can anyone tell where (in a textbook) the interaction and building of
atoms (the cross-sections) of ions with electrons at different relative
energies has been calculated?
Thank you very much in advance?

[Murray Arnow]

ilper@abv.bg wrote:
>Can anyone tell where (in a textbook) the interaction and building of
>atoms (the cross-sections) of ions with electrons at different relative
>energies has been calculated?
>Thank you very much in advance?
>

I'm not quite sure I understand your question. If you are asking how to
calculate interaction cross-sections for electron-atom collisions, then
there are many books available on scattering theory which will give you
details. If you are asking how to calculate the structure of atoms, then
you best look into books on quantum chemistry.

I don't know your background. Most texts on atomic scattering (also
called collision theory) are usually quite advanced and assume a
knowledge of quantum chemistry. Quantum chemistry books, however, tend
to be less advanced at the theoretical level and more heavily into
computational methods for solving the Schroedinger equation of complex
systems.

Electron-atom collisions are complicated by the strong dependence on the
collision energies. Collisions at energies near transitional thresholds
(the energy required to change bound-electron energies) are complicated
further by atomic excitations. It appears that you are interested in
inelastic scattering near thresholds. Is there a specific problem you
are investigating?

[ilper@abv.bg]

Murray Arnow wrote:
> ilper@abv.bg wrote:

> I'm not quite sure I understand your question. If you are asking how to
> calculate interaction cross-sections for electron-atom collisions, then
> there are many books available on scattering theory which will give you
> details. If you are asking how to calculate the structure of atoms, then
> you best look into books on quantum chemistry.
>

> Electron-atom collisions are complicated by the strong dependence on the
> collision energies. Collisions at energies near transitional thresholds
> (the energy required to change bound-electron energies) are complicated
> further by atomic excitations. It appears that you are interested in
> inelastic scattering near thresholds. Is there a specific problem you
> are investigating?

Thanks for the considerations.

I'm interested in building of atoms when the electrons falls on an
ion(+1 charge) - e.g. bound states. What level will the new elecrtron
take accordings its characteristics (relative energy, spin)?

[Murray Arnow]

ilper@abv.bg wrote:
>Murray Arnow wrote:
>> ilper@abv.bg wrote:
>
>> I'm not quite sure I understand your question. If you are asking how to
>> calculate interaction cross-sections for electron-atom collisions, then
>> there are many books available on scattering theory which will give you
>> details. If you are asking how to calculate the structure of atoms, then
>> you best look into books on quantum chemistry.
>>
>
>> Electron-atom collisions are complicated by the strong dependence on the
>> collision energies. Collisions at energies near transitional thresholds
>> (the energy required to change bound-electron energies) are complicated
>> further by atomic excitations. It appears that you are interested in
>> inelastic scattering near thresholds. Is there a specific problem you
>> are investigating?
>
>Thanks for the considerations.
>
>I'm interested in building of atoms when the electrons falls on an
>ion(+1 charge) - e.g. bound states. What level will the new elecrtron
>take accordings its characteristics (relative energy, spin)?
>

What you are describing is an electron-atom collision, where the
collision energy approaches zero. It's been over 20 years since I worked
in this area, so my information is dated. But here are some selections
from my bookshelf which may be useful:

Atomic and Molecular Collisions, by Sir Harrie Massey, Taylor & Francis
Ltd. It looks at your problem at an intermediate level without too much
detail. Chapter 7 may be of particular interest.

More advanced texts include: The Oxford University Press Series-
Electronic and Ionic Impact Phenomena Vol. I by H.S.W. Massey and
E.H.S. Burhop Electronic and Ionic Impact Phenomena Vol. II and Vol III.
by H.S.W. Massey.

Electron-Molecule Scattering Edited by Sanford C. Brown,
Wiley-Interscience.

The Calculation of Atomic Collision Processes by Kenneth Smith,
Wiley-Interscience.

Variational Methods in Eectron-Atom Scattering Theory by Robert K.
Nesbit,Plenum Press.

Atomic Collisions - The Theory of Electron-Atom Collisions, Edited by V.
Ya Veldre, MIT Press.

The Theory of Electron-Atom Collisions, G. F. Drukarev, Academic Press.

Besides books, there is a long list of published articles showing
calculations in journals, such as the Physical Review A.

All the above presupposes a comfortable familiarity with
quantum-mechanical calculations of the electronic structure of atoms and
scattering theory.

I'm sorry I don't have a simple answer to your inquiry. Expecting that
an electron just happily falls into a bound state with nothing else
happening, other than what energy and angular-momentum conservation
dictate, is overly simple. The real problem in your question is that
details in making these calculations have to consider the resonances
that popup when the electron collision-energies are near atomic or
molecular bound-states. This gives the system the jitters and increases
the number of outcomes.