Absolute measurements of total cross sections for electron scattering by Na2 and K2 (0.5–50 eV)

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Abstract
Absolute measurements have been made of total cross sections for the scattering of electrons by sodium and potassium diatomic molecules, over the electron energy range 0.5–50 eV, at temperatures of 405 and 335 °C, respectively, using the molecular beam recoil technique. We find the molecular cross sections to lie about 60% and 33% above the respective sodium and potassium atomic cross sections above 2 eV. The measured sodium and potassium molecular total cross sections range from 305 and 430 Å2, respectively, at 0.5 eV and 85 and 97 Å2, respectively, at 50 eV. The over‐all uncertainty in the sodium dimer results is at most 16%, and in the potassium dimer results is at most 20%.