Electron Spin Exchange in Atomic Collisions

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Abstract
We consider electron spin-exchange collisions between an atom with an electron spin of ½ and a target atom with an arbitrary electron spin. The cross sections that describe the collision are expressed in terms of generalized direct and exchange amplitudes and are shown to depend only on the electron spin, polarization, and alignment of the target atom. We include the effects of an external magnetic field and the nuclear spin of the spin-½ atom on the collision. We calculate the cross sections connecting the initial and final states of the free Hamiltonian describing the spin-½ atom, with analytic results being displayed for the two limiting cases of the external magnetic field. For the general case, graphical results are presented for several common values of nuclear spin that allow the cross sections to be evaluated for arbitrary magnetic fields. The results are applied to several situations of current interest.