Characteristics of potential-resonance elastic scattering of slow electrons by calcium atoms

The characteristics of elastic scattering of electrons by atomic systems are described by the potential resonance method in terms of the energy dependence of integral-type cross section S taken using a hypocycloidal electron spectrometer. The effect of ² D shape resonance on the run of the curve S(E) is demonstrated with scattering of slow (of energy no higher than 2 eV) electrons by calcium atoms. The energy and width of the resonance are derived from the extrema (minimum and maximum) of the experimental curve S(E). This dependence also serves to find the electron scattering differential cross sections. Two slightly differing scattering angles are taken into account. The differential cross sections derived from the experimental data qualitatively agree with theoretical results, albeit being somewhat lower.