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Theoretical Triple-Differential Cross Sections Of A Methane Molecule By A Proper-Average Method, Hari Chaluvadi, C. G. Ning, Don H. Madison

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

For the last few years, our group has calculated cross sections for electron-impact ionization of molecules using the molecular three-body distorted-wave approximation coupled with the orientation-averaged molecular orbital (OAMO) approximation. This approximation was very successful for calculating ionization cross sections for hydrogen molecules and to a lesser extent nitrogen molecules. Recently we used the approximation to calculate single ionization cross sections for the 1t₂ state of methane (CH₄) and we found major discrepancies with the experimental data. Here we investigate the validity of the OAMO approximation by calculating cross sections that have been properly averaged over all …