Electron scattering from N2O: absolute elastic scattering and vibrational excitation

We report absolute measurements, using the relative how technique, of low-t o-intermediate energy (1.5-100 eV) differential cross sections (DCSs) for e lastic electron scattering and vibrational excitation of nitrous oxide. The se results, which have been undertaken independently in our two laboratorie s on different experimental apparatus, are compared in detail with each oth er and with previous experimental results and theoretical calculations. For elastic scattering the level of agreement between the DCSs from the two la boratories is generally very good. However, the agreement with recent theor etical calculations is rather poor, particularly at energies below 10 eV. F or vibrational excitation DCS results have been measured at 2.4 and 8 eV-en ergies corresponding to the positions of two broad (2)Pi and (2)Sigma shape resonances respectively.