Low-energy electron collisions with gas-phase uracil

We have studied gas-phase collisions between slow electrons and uracil molecules with a view to understanding the resonance structure of the scattering cross section. Our symmetry-resolved results for elastic scattering, computed in the fixed-nuclei, static-exchange and static-exchange-plus-polarization approximations, provide locations for the expected pi* shape resonances and indicate the possible presence of a low-energy sigma* resonance as well. Electron-impact excitation calculations were carried out for low-lying triplet and singlet excitation channels and yield a very large singlet cross section. We discuss the connection between the resonances found in our elastic cross section and features observed in dissociative attachment.     

Low-energy electron collisions with sulfur hexafluoride, SF(6)

We report calculated cross sections for elastic and electronically inelastic collisions of low-energy electrons with sulfur hexafluoride, SF(6). Elastic cross sections are computed within the fixed-nuclei approximation, with polarization effects incorporated. Inelastic cross sections for nine low-lying states are computed in a few-channel approximation. We compare our cross sections to previous experimental and computational results where possible.     

Low-energy rotational inelastic collisions of H(+) + CO system

The quantum mechanical state-to-state rotational excitation cross sections have been computed using the ab initio ground electronic state potential energy surface of the system [M. Mladenovic and S. Schmatz, J. Chem. Phys. 109, 4456 (1998)] computed at coupled-cluster single and double and triple perturbative excitations method using correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple zeta basis set where the asymptotic potential have been computed using the dipole moment, quadrupole moment, and the molecular polarizability components and fitted to this interaction potential. The anisotropy of the surface has been analyzed in terms of the multipolar expansion coefficients for the rigid-rotor surface. The integral cross sections for rotational excitations have been computed by solving close-coupled equations at very low collision energies (5-200 cm(-1)) and the corresponding rates have been obtained for a range of low temperatures (5-175 K). The j = 0 → j(') = 1 rotational excitation cross section (and rate) is found to be the dominant followed by the j = 0 → j(') = 2 in these collision energies. The close-coupling, coupled-state, and infinite-order sudden approximations coupling calculations have been performed in the energy range of 0.1-1.0 eV using vibrational ground potential. The rotational cross sections have been obtained by performing computationally accurate close-coupling calculations at 0.1 eV using vibrationally averaged potential (ν = 1) and compared with the results of vibrational ground potential.     

Slow electron collisions with polar molecules in plasma

Considering a polar molecule in a plasma medium, the electron-molecule dipole potential is modified to incorporate the screening effect of the plasma, which is characterised by the inverse Debye-shielding-length λ ina ^?1 ₀. Born differential cross-sections (DCS) for the rotational excitations of target molecules like HCl, H₂O and HCN are calculated for various low incident electron energies as well as for various values of λ. The effect of plasma screening is not only to reduce the DCS but also to alter the angular distribution. In general the DCS near the forward direction are considerably reduced. The present Born results are not expected to be reliable for strongly screening plasmas.     

Elastic and inelastic low-energy electron collisions with pyrazine

We present results of ab-initio scattering calculations for electron collisions with pyrazine using the R-matrix method, carried out at various levels of approximation. We confirm the existing experimental and theoretical understanding of the three well-known π? shape resonances. In addition, we find numerous core-excited resonances (above 4.8 eV) and identify their most likely parent states. We also present differential cross sections, showing high sensitivity to the scattering model chosen at low energies. We make recommendations regarding the selection of models for scattering calculations with this type of targets.     

Low-energy electron and X-ray degradation of biomedical plasma-fluoropolymer

Plasma-deposited thin films of fluoropolymer on metallic substrates were degraded by low-energy (1-100 eV) electrons and X-ray irradiation to simulate irradiation conditions of implanted coated stents in the human body during diagnostic procedures using high energy radiation. The desorption of anions and cations from the surface of the films induced by 1-100 eV electrons was recorded by mass spectrometry. The electron energy dependence of the emission of F⁻ exhibited a resonant peak at 12.9 ± 0.4 eV, showing the formation of a transient excited anion and a monotonic rise at higher energies, associated to dipolar dissociation. In the positive ion mode, the fragments F⁺, CF⁺, CF₂⁺, CF₃⁺, C₃F₃⁺, C₂F₄⁺ and C₂F₅⁺ were observed. Emission thresholds were measured and laid above 25 eV. The shape of the cation emission curves versus electron energy showed no resonant process. X-ray degradation was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for different exposure times. Loss of fluorine in -CF₂ groups was observed and damage mechanisms were proposed.     

Low-energy electron scattering by deoxyribose and related molecules

We apply first-principles computational methods to study elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribose monophosphate, which are of interest as components of the DNA backbone, and to tetrahydrofuran (THF), which has been studied as a deoxyribose analog. To investigate the dependence of the scattering process on the molecular conformation, we examine Cs and C2 conformers of THF as well as the planar C(2v) geometry imposed in earlier calculations. There is little difference between the elastic cross sections determined at the nonplanar geometries, but there are noticeable differences between those results and the cross sections computed using the planar ring. By comparing results for tetrahydrofuran obtained with and without inclusion of polarization effects, we obtain energy shifts that are applied to the computed resonance positions for deoxyribose and deoxyribose monophosphate.     

Low-energy electron scattering by methane,arsine and phosphine

We present cross sections for the elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by phosphine (PH₃) and arsine (AsH₃), and for electron-impact excitation of the (1t ₂ 3sa ₁)³ T ₂ and¹ T ₂ states in methane (CH₄). These results were calculated using the Schwinger multichannel method as implemented on distributed-memory parallel computers. The PH₃ and AsH₃ cross sections show a pronounced low-energy shape resonance which may provide a pathway to dissociative attachment. The^1,3 T ₂ cross sections for CH₄ correlate fairly well with recent measurements of CH₂ production via electron-impact dissociation of methane.Contribution No. 8587     

Low-energy electron impact excitation of 1,3,5-trans-hexatriene

Electronic excitation by low energy electron impact has been studied for 1,3,5-traps-hexatriene. At ≈ 4.2 eV, a weak absorption is observed. On the basis of the results of semi-empirical calculations this absorption can be assigned to the second triplet state.     

Low-energy electron diffraction and induced damage in hydrated DNA

Elastic scattering of 5-30 eV electrons within the B-DNA 5'-CCGGCGCCGG-3' and A-DNA 5'-CGCGAATTCGCG-3' DNA sequences is calculated using the separable representation of a free-space electron propagator and a curved wave multiple scattering formalism. The disorder brought about by the surrounding water and helical base stacking leads to a featureless amplitude buildup of elastically scattered electrons on the sugar and phosphate groups for all energies between 5 and 30 eV. However, some constructive interference features arising from diffraction are revealed when examining the structural waters within the major groove. These appear at 5-10, 12-18, and 22-28 eV for the B-DNA target and at 7-11, 12-18, and 18-25 eV for the A-DNA target. Although the diffraction depends on the base-pair sequence, the energy dependent elastic scattering features are primarily associated with the structural water molecules localized within 8-10 A spheres surrounding the bases and/or the sugar-phosphate backbone. The electron density buildup occurs in energy regimes associated with dissociative electron attachment resonances, direct electronic excitation, and dissociative ionization. Since diffraction intensity can be localized on structural water, compound H2O:DNA states may contribute to energy dependent low-energy electron induced single and double strand breaks.     

Dissociative electron attachment to gas-phase glycine

By using a high-resolution electron energy monochromator low-energy electron attachment to gas-phase glycine (H₂NCH₂COOH, or G) has been studied by means of mass spectrometric detection of the product anions. In the same way as for several other biologically relevant molecules no stable parent anion was formed by free electron attachment. The largest dissociative electron attachment (DEA) cross-section, approximately 5×10^–20 m², was observed for (G–H)^–+H at an electron energy of 1.25 eV. Glycine and formic acid (HCOOH) have several common features, because a precursor ion can be characterized by electron attachment to the unoccupied * orbital of the –COOH group. At higher incident electron energies several smaller fragment anions are formed. Except for H^–, which could not be observed in this study, there was good agreement with an earlier investigation by Gohlke et al.     

Coincidence electron spectrometer for studying electron–atom collisions

The details of our recently developed coincidence electron spectrometer system with the block diagram and characteristics of the coincidence circuit are presented. As a first application we measured the continuous energy spectra of the scattered electron projectiles producing an L_2,3 inner-shell ionization/excitation of argon. The studied energy region was the neighbourhood of the ionization edge, where nearly the total excess energy is taken away by the scattered projectile. Above the edge we identify the peaks of the scattered electrons that produced 2p_3/2→4s or 2p_3/2→3d excitation.     

Relativistic effects in low-energy spin-dependent electron collisions with rare-gas atoms

The relativistic effects in low-energy spin-dependent electron scattering from rare-gas atoms Ar, Kr and Xe are analyzed by comparing the results obtained respectively with Dirac-Fock, Cowan's quasirelativistic Hartree-Fock and non-relativistic Hartree-Fock wave functions for target atoms. It is shown that the intra-target relativistic effects, in particular the explicit spin dependences of the one-electron orbitals of Dirac-Fock atomic wave function, create apparet quantitative changes in the spin polarization parameters at some collision energies and scattering angles.     

Low-energy electron capture by 6-Aza-2-thiothymine: investigations by electron attachment and electron transmission spectroscopies

The interaction of low-energy (0-10 eV) electrons with 6-aza-2-thiothymine is investigated in the gas phase by studies of sharp structure in the total electron scattering cross section and by mass analysis of the stable or long-lived negative ions produced by electron attachment. The most efficient fragmentation process, occurring at 0.15 eV, involves the ejection of a closed-shell neutral molecule (CH3CN). Ab initio calculations support our proposal that this process leads to ring closure to form a stable four-member heterocyclic anion. A long-lived parent anion with an approximate lifetime of 75 microseconds is observed near zero electron energy, and evidence is also seen for the slow decay of this anion by ejection of CH3CN. Near 3.3 eV, an anion of m/e 41 is produced that is likely to be a metastable valence anion of bent CH3CN, but the dipole-bound anion cannot be ruled out.     

Progress in electron–ion collisions studies

Some recent measurements of excitation of ions by electrons studied in beam–beam experiments are highlighted. The emphasis is on the study of the regularities of electron–ion scattering dynamics related to the excitation and decay of atomic autoionizing states both in electron and radiative channels. Some results are presented in comparison with the data obtained by other scientific groups and with existing theoretic calculations. The significant role of relativistic and correlation effects on dynamics of excitation process has been established.     

Second-order theories for electron loss in fast collisions with He atoms

The momentum distribution of projectile electrons ejected in collisions with light targets is calculated within the second-order Born approximation for direct ionisation and within the electron impact approximation and the impulse approximation for electron capture to the target continuum. From comparison with available experimental data it is found that for forward emission angles the electron is well described by a projectile eigenstate, while at backward angles a target final state is more appropriate. At all angles the inclusion of simultaneous target excitation is very important.     

Elastic and inelastic cross sections for low-energy electron collisions with pyrimidine

We present theoretical elastic and electronic excitation cross sections and experimental electronic excitation cross sections for electron collisions with pyrimidine. We use the R-matrix method to determine elastic integral and differential cross sections and integral inelastic cross sections for energies up to 15 eV. The experimental inelastic cross sections have been determined in the 15-50 eV impact energy range. Typically, there is quite reasonable agreement between the theoretical and experimental integral inelastic cross sections. Calculated elastic cross sections agree very well with prior results.     

Low-energy electron impact excitation of the lowest-lying autoionizing level in Li

We have calculated the electron impact total cross sections for the excitation of the lowest-lying autoionizing level generated due to the core- excitation 1s²2s²S^e å 1s2s²²Se transition in the lithium atomic system using Hartree—Fock wave-functions for both initial and final states within the R-matrix method in the low bombarding energy region. Our results show that the energy dependence of cross sections is significantly different in nature from all earlier theoretical predictions.     

Low-energy resonance states upon electron capture by five-membered heterocycles and cyclopentadiene

New resonance states were discovered for the negative molecular ions of thiophene and selenophene and a series of resonances was found for various heterocyclic compounds in the region 3.0–3.6 eV. The low-energy resonances at 1.65–2.3 eV are formed by a resonance mechanism of a form of the molecular ground state, while an electronically excited Feschbach resonance is responsible for the series of resonance states at 3.0–3.6 eV. The mother state for the latter resonance states is the first triplet state of these molecules. The first triplet state of selenophene is at 3.6±0.15 eV.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 925–927, April, 1990.