A test of recently proposed He–N2 interactions: Angular distributions and rotationally inelastic collisions

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Abstract
Three recently proposed anisotropic potential energy surfaces (PES) for the He+N2 (1Σg) system are employed to compute differential scattering cross sections, total and state‐to‐state rotationally inelastic, at two collision energies for which accurate molecular beam experiments are already available. The experiments have provided scattering angular distributions which resolved, in one case, rotational energy losses (at 27.7 meV) and which, in the other case, were able to yield only total differential cross sections (at 70.4 meV). Rigorous close‐coupling (CC) calculations at both energies are compared with IOSA (infinite order sudden approximation) results and with the experimental data. The ensuing discussion shows that only one PES, the recently proposed M3SV form, appears to have the correct anisotropic behavior in agreement with all experimental data.