The influence of atomic wavefunctions on the spin polarisation and the differential cross section for electron impact excitation of mercury

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Abstract
The results of distorted-wave theory are applied to the excitation of the 6s6p 1P1 state of mercury for electron impact energies of 100, 180 and 300 eV. The atomic wavefunctions calculated by the Coulomb approximation provide reasonable differential cross sections and spin polarisations at backward scattering angles and also the total cross section. However, at small scattering angles the calculated results depart from the experimental results throughout the range of electron impact energies examined. On the other hand, atomic wavefunctions calculated as the eigenfunction of the Hartree field give reasonable profiles for the differential cross section and the spin polarisation for all scattering angles, however, the absolute values of the cross sections are several times larger than the experimental ones. In both calculations the spin polarisation behaves abnormally when the electron impact energy is 300 eV and the scattering angle is about 75 degrees .