SHORT-RANGE EFFECTS IN RESONANT ELECTRON-MOLECULE SCATTERING FROM VAN-DER-WAALS CLUSTERS

A theoretical study is presented of the dynamics of resonant electron scattering from N-2-Ar and N-2-Ar-2 van der Waals clusters. Using the results of quantum electron-molecule scattering calculations we analyz e the effects of adjacent Ar atoms on the width and position of the lo w-energy (2) Pi(g) electron-scattering resonance of N-2. The results i ndicate that the presence of the Ar atoms leads to positive energy shi fts and an increase in the width of the resonance. The magnitude of th ese changes depended on the orientation of N-2 relative to the Ar atom s and on the number of Ar atoms. Additionally, in some arrangements, t he degenerate (2) Pi(g) resonance was split into two distinct resonanc es. Implications for electron scattering from N-2 adsorbed on solid Ar surfaces are also discussed. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(97)01843-6].