Intermediate-energy electron-impact ionization of molecules

The distorted-wave approximation is used to calculate doubly and triply dif ferential cross sections for the electron-impact ionization of hydrogen mol ecules for incident energies of 100 and 250 eV. In the present model, the w ave function of the incoming electron is calculated in the static-exchange (SE) potential field generated by a neutral H-2 molecule, whereas those of the two outgoing electrons are calculated in the SE field of the H-2(+) ion . The Schwinger variational iterative method was used in the calculation of these distorted waves. Comparison of the present calculated results with e xperimental data available in the literature is encouraging.