ELECTRON-IMPACT TOTAL (ELASTIC PLUS INELASTIC) CROSS-SECTIONS OF C, NAND O ATOMS AND THEIR SIMPLE MOLECULES

Total (elastic + inelastic) cross-sections for electron scattering fro m C, N, O atoms and their simple molecules are studied theoretically. The e--C, N, O atomic calculations are done in the complex optical pot ential approach. To study the electron scattering from O2, N2, CO, NO, CN, C2 as well as CO2, N2O, NO2 and O3 targets, we have adopted an ad ditivity rule, wherein the molecular cross-section is an incoherent su m of the cross-sections of the constituent atoms. The cross-sections o f C, N & O atoms are presented at incident energies E(i) = 10-1000 eV, the molecular cross-sections are presented at E(i) = 100-1000 eV The reliability of the additivity rule is discussed against the background of experimental data.