Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

The electron impact X1Σ+g to b3Σ+u transition in molecular hydrogen is one of the most important dissociation pathways to forming atomic hydrogen atoms, and is of great importance in modeling astrophysical and industrial plasmas where molecular hydrogen is a substantial constituent. Recently it has been found that the convergent close-coupling (CCC) cross sections of Zammit et al. [Phys. Rev. A 95, 022708 (2017)] are up to a factor of two smaller than the currently recommended data. We have performed measurements of differential cross sections as ratios of the excitation to elastic scattering using a transmission-free time-of-flight electron spectrometer, and find excellent agreement with the CCC calculations. Since there is already excellent agreement for the absolute elastic differential cross sections, we establish new recommended differential and integrated cross sections with theory and experiment being essentially in complete agreement- unprecedented for differential electron impact excitation of any molecular transition to date.

Authors

• dr hab. Mateusz Zawadzki link open in new tab ,
• Robert Wright,
• Grant Dolmat,
• Merl Martin,
• Leigh Hargreaves,
• Dmitry Fursa,
• Mark Zammit,
• Liam Scarlett,
• Jonathan Tapley,
• Jeremy Savage,
• Igor Bray,
• Murtadha Khakoo