SPIN-RESOLVED SUPERELASTIC ELECTRON-SCATTERING FROM LASER-EXCITED CHROMIUM ATOMS

Superelastic scattering of polarized electrons from laser-excited pola rized chromium atoms (4P-7(4)o --> 4S-7(3) transition, energy gain 2.9 2 eV) has been measured for total collision energies of 6.8 and 13.6 e V (0.5 and 1.0 Ryd) and scattering angles ranging from 10-degrees to 1 40-degrees. The orientation parameter L(perpendicular-to) is determine d both averaged over spin states, and separately for the sextet and oc tet total spin channels. The octet-to-sextet cross section ratio r is also determined. The chromium atom has six unpaired electrons with the configuration 3d5(S-6(5/2))41 (l = 0, 1) for the states under investi gation. The scattering data show strong orbital orientation and spin e ffects, which we attribute to the interaction between the continuum el ectron and the outermost 41 target electron.