Time-dependent wave-packet dynamics with memory: the electron-HCl collision complex

Vibrational excitation by electron impact and dissociative electron attachment in HCl are described in a time-dependent picture. The calculations are based on the nonlocal resonance model of low-energy electron-HCl scattering proposed earlier by Domcke and Mündel. The space-time integrodifferential equation of motion for the time-dependent wave packet representing the electron-HCl collision complex has been solved using standard numerical techniques. The results provide insight into the nature of the pronounced threshold phenomena observed in the vibrational excitation and dissociative attachment cross sections of HCl.