We report elastic and electronically inelastic cross sections for low-energ
y electron scattering by pentafluoroethane, C2HF5. Our calculations were pe
rformed using the Schwinger multichannel method. For elastic scattering, we
calculated integral, differential, and momentum transfer cross sections fo
r energies from 5 to 50 eV. In the inelastic case, we obtained integral and
differential cross sections for electron-impact excitation of the 1 (1,3)A
' and 2 (1,3)A' excited states at the three-channel level of approximation.
At higher energies, the elastic differential cross sections are quite simi
lar to existing theoretical results for C2F6. Limited electronic-structure
calculations were carried out to explore the dissociation behavior of the e
xcited states. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.