Negative-ion resonances in cross sections for slow-electron-heavy-alkali-metal-atom scattering - art. no. 042710

We analyze negative-ion resonances in elastic and inelastic total scatterin g cross sections for slow electron collisions with the heavy-alkali-metal a toms Rb, Cs, and Fr. Our calculations are based on the Dirac R-matrix metho d [Thumm and Norcross, Phys. Rev. A 45, 6349 (1992)]. For incident electron s of up to 2.8 eV kinetic energy, we compare a P-3(o) shape resonance and P -3(e), P-1(1)o, and D-1(2)o Feshbach resonances, located below the first ex citation threshold of the atomic target in the low-lying spectra of the Rb- , Cs-, and Fr- negative ions, with available experimental data and other ca lculations. We provide the resonance parameters, partial and converged tota l elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections, and discuss the relative importance of relativistic effects for the three heavy-alkali-metal target s.