Abstract

Background. Progress in the field of physics of electron-atom collisions is dependent on two main factors: a) the availability of new studies of individual atomic systems; b) the clarify, systematize and generalize of results, obtained in previous studies. In the last decade we, together with co-authors, investigate in detail the elastic and inelastic electron scattering on neutral atomic systems Ca, Mg, Sr, Si, F, Al, and B. The purpose of this paper is to systematize and summarize the results of studies of F atom, and is to continue the investigation of the scattering differential cross sections of electrons on the fluorine atom, begun in our previous work.
Methods. The atomic structure for F, as well as the excitation cross sections for e−F scattering processes were obtained by the B-spline R-matrix method. The multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method with nonorthogonal orbital sets was employed for an accurate representation of the targets wave functions. The close coupling expansions include 39 spectroscopic states of neutral fluorine. The scattering calculations was then carried out in the same way as in standard R-matrix calculations.
Results. In this paper we summarize our earlier data with electron-atom scattering on F. The subject of the study are energy and angular dependences of differential cross sections (DCS) of e−F elastic scattering and electron impact excitation of the lower levels of this atom. We reviewed the transitions from the ground state 2p^{5 2}P^o in the five lowest excited states 2p⁴(³P)3s ^4,2P, 2p⁴(³P)3p ⁴P^o, ^4,2D^o for F atom.
Conclusions. The energy and angular dependences of the DCS were obtained and corresponding 3D surfaces for the elastic scattering cross sections and excitations of the five lowest states of the F atom were constructed. The relationship between the energy and angular 3D dependences of the DCS on the type of spectral transitions in the F atom is discussed

Keywords: F atom, electron scattering, B-splines R-matrix method, differential scattering cross-sections, 3D surfaces

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