Inelastic collisions of molecules with cold electrons

Abstract:
The goal of the project is to develop a theory necessary for description of inelastic collisions of cold electrons with polar molecules. Collisions energies under 100 meV allow only several paths opened. The proposed model will include two accessible inelastic channels, namely rotational excitation and dissociative attachment. Cross-sections for both channels are very large and therefore both processes are dominant for a cooling (or heating) of the molecules inside cold plasmas or interstellar clouds. The theoretical approach will be used to determine state-to-state cross-sections based on experiments carried out in the synchrotron laboratory ASTRID at the University of Arhus in Denmark. The proposed project, in conjuction with the experiment, will therefore derive first set of data for the inelastic rate constants describing collisions of molecules and cold electrons.