Differential spin exchange in the elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by rubidium

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Abstract
The atomic-beam recoil technique has been used to obtain the ratio of spin-flip to full differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of electrons by rubidium at 0.80, 1.10, and 1.40 eV. Data are presented for a range of angles between 30° and 180° at each of these energies. These measurements were partly motivated by the expectation that relativistic effects, particularly the spin-orbit interaction, will be significant in electron scattering by the heavier alkali metals, even at low energies. In this context, we show how our measurements are related to the relativistic scattering amplitudes recently discussed by Burke and Mitchell for one-electron atoms. These experiments were performed at intermediate magnetic fields, where the nuclear and valence electron magnetic moments are not fully decoupled. The necessary corrections are discussed and taken into account.