INTERFERENCE EFFECTS IN RESONANCE ELECTRON-ATOM SCATTERING IN AN EXTERNAL ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELD

Resonance electron-atom scattering in an external electromagnetic fiel d that couples levels of the ''atom + electron'' system, which gives r ise to the second resonance in scattering, is considered. The external field broadens resonances, which simplifies the observation of the as ymmetry in the total scattering cross section due to the interference of resonance and potential scattering. Effects connected with the inte rference of two decay channels of the atom-electron system in an exter nal electromagnetic field are considered. By an appropriate choice of field parameters (frequency and intensity), we can effectively reduce the resonance scattering cross section to the cross section of scatter ing on a single resonance level whose width is proportional to the ext ernal field intensity.