BOND STOPPING CROSS-SECTIONS FOR PROTONS INCIDENT ON MOLECULAR TARGETS WITHIN THE OLPA FSGO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KINETIC-THEORY

We report the predictions of the kinetic theory for proton stopping in molecular targets within the orbital local plasma approximation (OLPA ) introduced by Meltzer, Sabin and Trickey [Phys. Rev. A 41 (1990) 220 ]. In order to present a self-contained treatment, all the quantities entering in the calculations are obtained through use of the floating spherical Gaussian orbital (FSGO) representation of localized molecula r orbitals. The calculations are performed for representative molecula r targets, generating S(e) values for cores, single, double, triple-bo nds and lone pairs as a function of projectile velocity. Fair agreemen t is observed with available experimental data and with other theoreti cal estimates. The adequacy of the FSGO representation in the study of molecular stopping for protons within the spirit of the kinetic theor y and the orbital implementation of the local plasma approximation is confirmed in this work.