Orientation and alignment effects in electron-induced ionization of a single oriented water molecule

C. CHAMPION Y R.D. RIVAROLA

PHYSICAL REVIEW A - ATOMIC, MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2010 vol. 82 p. 427041 - 427048

1050-2947

We here report a theoretical study about the orientation effect on the total ionization cross sections for a single oriented water molecule. The theoretical description of the ionization process is performed within the first Born framework with a collisional system including an initial state composed of a projectile and a water target molecule described by a plane wave and an accurate one-center molecular wave function, respectively, and a final state constituted by a slow ejected electron represented by a Coulomb wave and a scattered (fast) electron projectile described by a plane wave. Secondary electron energetic distributions as well as total cross sections are then compared for particular target configurations pointing out strong alignment and orientation effects on the description of the ionization process.