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Absolute cross-section values are reported from high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoabsorption measurements of gas-phase formic acid (HCOOH) in the photon energy range 4.7-10.8 eV (265-115 nm), together with quantum chemical calculations to provide vertical energies and oscillator strengths. The combination of experimental and theoretical methods has allowed a comprehensive assignment of the electronic transitions. The VUV spectrum reveals various vibronic features not previously reported in the literature, notably associated with (3pa'←10a'), (3p'a'←10a'), (3sa'←2a″) and (3pa'←2a″) Rydberg transitions. The assignment of vibrational features in the absorption bands reveal that the C=O stretching, v 3 a', the H'-O-C' deformation, v ' a', the H'-O-C' deformation, v 5 ' a ' , the C-O stretching, v 6 ' a ' , and the O=C-O' deformation, v 7 ' a ' modes are mainly active. The measured absolute photoabsorption cross sections have also been used to estimate the photolysis lifetime of HCOOH in the upper stratosphere (30-50 km), showing that solar photolysis is an important sink at altitudes above 30 km but not in the troposphere. Potential energy curves for the lowest-lying electronic excited states, as a function of the C=O coordinate, are obtained employing time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). These calculations have shown the relevance of internal conversion from Rydberg to valence character governing the nuclear dynamics, yielding clear evidence of the rather complex multidimensional nature of the potential energy surfaces involved., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents a joint experimental and theoretical study of positron scattering from furan. Experimental data were measured using the low energy positron beamline located at the Australian National University and cover an energy range from 1 eV to 30 eV. Cross sections were measured for total scattering, total elastic and inelastic scattering, positronium formation, and differential elastic scattering. Two theoretical approaches are presented: the Schwinger multichannel method and the independent atom method with screening corrected additivity rule. In addition, our data are compared to corresponding electron scattering results from the same target with a number of significant differences observed and discussed.

We present novel experimental results of negative ion formation of halothane (C 2 HBrClF 3 ) upon electron transfer from hyperthermal neutral potassium atoms (K°) in the collision energy range of 8-1000 eV. The experiments were performed in a crossed molecular beam setup allowing a comprehensive analysis of the time-of-flight (TOF) mass negative ions fragmentation pattern and a detailed knowledge of the collision dynamics in the energy range investigated. Such TOF mass spectra data show that the only negative ions formed are Br - , Cl - and F - , with a strong energy dependence in the low-energy collision region, with the bromine anion being the most abundant and sole fragment at the lowest collision energy probed. In addition, potassium cation (K + ) energy loss spectra in the forward scattering direction were obtained in a hemispherical energy analyser at different K° impact energies. In order to support our experimental findings, ab initio quantum chemical calculations have been performed to help interpret the role of the electronic structure of halothane. Potential energy curves were obtained along the C-X (X = Br, Cl) coordinate to lend support to the dissociation processes yielding anion formation.

Trifluoroiodomethane (CF 3 I) is one of the most appealing candidates for applications in plasma-based technologies in view of its many interesting advantages when compared to more standard gases such as trifluorobromomethane (CF 3 Br). Low-energy electrons are prone to decomposing these molecules into reactive species, and knowledge on the collision cross sections is fundamental for modeling transport and reactivity in plasma environments. Despite many studies on electron collisions with the abovementioned molecules, there are conflicting results on the assignment of shape resonances and on the magnitudes of total cross sections. Here, we try to clarify these aspects by performing ab initio electron scattering calculations. We found integral cross sections in fair agreement with the most recent measurements, in contrast to previous reports. For each molecule, we found a σ CX * resonance (antibonding between the carbon and the heavy halogen) at 1 eV in CF 3 Br and at ∼0 eV in CF 3 I. Furthermore, there are three shape resonances of σ CF * character; two are degenerate and account for a broad feature around 6 eV and the other one appears around 9.5 eV. We also discuss the possible role of the degenerate resonance in dissociative electron attachment reactions, as well as the impact of the heavy halogen on the cross sections and on the shape resonances.

Measurements of the total electron scattering cross sections (TCSs) from benzene, in the impact energy range of 1-1000 eV, are presented here by combining two different experimental systems. The first utilizes a magnetically confined electron transmission beam for the lower energies (1-300 eV), while the second utilizes a linear transmission beam apparatus for the higher energies (100-1000 eV). These cross sections have also been calculated by means of two different theoretical methods, the Schwinger Multichannel with Pseudo Potential (SMCPP) procedure, employing two different approaches to account for the polarization of the target for impact energies between 0.1 and 15 eV, and the Independent Atom Model with the Screening Corrected Additivity Rule including Interference effect (IAM-SCAR+I) paradigm to cover the 10-10 000 eV impact energy range. The present results are compared with available theoretical and experimental data, with the level of accord being good in some cases and less satisfactory in others, and some predicted resonances have been identified. In particular, we found a π * shape resonance at 1.4 eV and another feature in the energy region 4.6-4.9 eV interpreted as a π * resonance ( 2 B 2g symmetry), which is a mixture of shape and a core excited resonance, as well as a Feshbach resonance at 5.87 eV associated with the 3s (a 1g ) Rydberg state. A Born-type formula to extrapolate TCS values for energies above 10 000 eV is also given. This study provides a complete set of TCS data, with uncertainty limits within 10%, ready to be used for modeling electron transport applications.

We report the results of ab initio calculations for elastic scattering and also for excitation of individual electronic states of para -benzoquinone (pBQ) by the impact of low-energy electrons. The calculations for elastic scattering were performed with the Schwinger multichannel method implemented with pseudopotentials (SMCPP) in the static-exchange (SE) plus polarization (SEP) approximation for energies up to 50 eV. The assignments for the resonance spectrum obtained in this study are, in general, in good agreement with previous results available in the literature. For electronic excitation by electron impact, the SMCPP method with N energetically open electronic states ( N open ), at either the static-exchange ( N open ch-SE) or the static-exchange-plus-polarisation ( N open ch-SEP) approximation, was employed to calculate the scattering amplitudes using a channel coupling scheme that ranges from the 1ch-SEP up to the 89ch-SE level of approximation, depending on the energy of interest. Integral cross sections (ICSs) and differential cross sections (DCSs) were obtained for incident electron energies lying between 15 eV and 50 eV. The study focuses on the influence of multichannel coupling effects for electronically inelastic processes, more specifically, on how the number of excited states included in the open-channel space impacts upon the convergence of the cross sections at intermediate and higher energies. In particular, we found that the magnitude of DCS and ICS results for electronic excitation decreases as more channels are included in the calculations. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other experimental or theoretical ICS or DCS results for excitation into individual electronic states of pBQ available in the literature between 15 and 50 eV against which we might compare the present calculations.

We report a combined experimental and theoretical study of the electronic state spectroscopy of acrylic acid (C 3 H 4 O 2 ) in the gas phase, by high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoabsorption measurements in the 4.0-10.8 eV energy range, together with ab initio calculations (vertical energies and oscillator strengths), which were used in the assignment of the valence transitions. We also discuss the Rydberg transitions for this molecular target, obtained using the experimental ionization energies available in the literature. The experimental spectrum presented in this paper represents the highest resolution data yet reported for acrylic acid and reveals new features not previously reported in the literature. The dominant transitions have been assigned to (π*(4a″) ← π(3a″)) and (π*(4a″) ← π(2a″)), the latter exhibiting excitation of the ν 5 ' ( a') C = O stretching mode with mean energy of 0.155 eV. The measured absolute photoabsorption cross sections have been used to calculate the photolysis lifetime of acrylic acid in the upper stratosphere (20-50 km).

Total electron scattering cross sections, from para-benzoquinone, for impact energies ranging between 1 to 200 eV, have been obtained by measuring the attenuation of a linear electron beam under magnetic confinement conditions. Random uncertainty limits on these values have been found to be within 5%. Systematic errors, due to the axial magnetic beam conditions in combination with the acceptance angle of the detector, have been evaluated by integrating our calculated independent atom model with the screening corrected additivity rule and interference term elastic differential cross sections over that detection acceptance angle. Our previous calculations and measurements on this molecule (Jones et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2018, 148, 124312 and J. Chem. Phys., 2018, 148, 204305), have been compiled and complemented with new elastic and inelastic scattering cross section calculations in order to obtain a comprehensive cross section data base, within the considered energy range, for modelling purposes. The self-consistency of the present data set has been evaluated by simulating the electron transport of 15 eV electrons in para-benzoquinone, and comparing those results with the observed transmitted intensity distribution.

We report absolute experimental integral cross sections (ICSs) for the electron impact excitation of 6 bands (Bands 0-V) of unresolved electronic-states in para-benzoquinone, for incident electron energies between 20 and 40 eV. Absolute vibrational-excitation ICSs, for 3 composite vibrational bands (Bands I-III), are also reported in that same energy range. In addition, ICSs calculated within our independent atom model (IAM) with screening corrected additivity rule (SCAR) formalism, extended to account for interference (I) terms that arise due to the multi-centre nature of the scattering problem, are also reported. The sum of those ICSs gives the IAM-SCAR+I total cross section (TCS) for electron-para-benzoquinone scattering. Where possible, those calculated IAM-SCAR+I ICSs are compared against corresponding results from the present measurements with an acceptable level of accord being obtained. Similarly, we also present results from our Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotential (SMCPP) calculations. Here elastic ICSs and ICSs corresponding to the Bands 0-III of unresolved electronic-states are presented, with agreement between the SMCPP electronic-state ICSs and those from our measurements being in good qualitative accord. The energy range of our SMCPP computations is 16-50 eV. Using the binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) approach, total ionization cross sections for this collision system were computed. Those total ionization cross sections were then added to our SMCPP ICS results, to derive SMCPP/BEB TCSs that are typically in very good accord with those from our IAM-SCAR+I approach.

Angle resolved electron energy loss spectra (EELS) for para-benzoquinone (C 6 H 4 O 2 ) have been recorded for incident electron energies of 20, 30, and 40 eV. Measured differential cross sections (DCSs) for electronic band features, composed of a combination of energetically unresolved electronic states, are subsequently derived from those EELS. Where possible, the obtained DCSs are compared with those calculated using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials. These calculations were performed using a minimum orbital basis single configuration interaction framework at the static exchange plus polarisation level. Here, quite reasonable agreement between the experimental cross sections and the theoretical cross sections for the summation of unresolved states was observed.

We present a comparative study on the calculated cross sections obtained for the elastic collisions of low-energy electrons with the amino acid proline (C 5 H 9 NO 2 ) and its building block pyrrolidine (C 4 H 9 N). We employed the Schwinger multichannel method implemented with pseudopotentials to compute integral, differential, and momentum transfer cross sections in the static-exchange plus polarization approximation, for energies up to 15 eV. We report three shape resonances for proline at around 1.7 eV, 6.8 eV, and 10 eV and two shape resonances for pyrrolidine centered at 7 eV and 10.2 eV. The present resonance energies are compared with available experimental data on vertical attachment energies and dissociative electron attachment, where a good agreement is found. From the comparison of the present results with available calculated cross sections for the simplest carboxylic acid, formic acid (HCOOH), and from electronic structure calculations, we found that the first resonance of proline, at 1.7 eV, is due the presence of the carboxylic group, whereas the other two structures, at 6.8 eV and 10 eV, clearly arise from the pyrrolidine ring. A comparison between the differential cross sections for proline and pyrrolidine at some selected energies of the incident electron is also reported in this paper.

We report on theoretical elastic and experimental vibrational-excitation differential cross sections (DCSs) for electron scattering from para-benzoquinone (C 6 H 4 O 2 ), in the intermediate energy range 15-50 eV. The calculations were conducted with two different theoretical methodologies, the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials (SMCPP) and the independent atom method with screening corrected additivity rule (IAM-SCAR) that also now incorporates a further interference (I) term. The SMCPP with N energetically open electronic states (N open ) at the static-exchange-plus-polarisation (N open ch-SEP) level was used to calculate the scattering amplitudes using a channel coupling scheme that ranges from 1ch-SE up to the 89ch-SEP level of approximation. We found that in going from the 38ch-SEP to the 89ch-SEP, at all energies considered here, the elastic DCSs did not change significantly in terms of both their shapes and magnitudes. This is a good indication that our SMCPP 89ch-SEP elastic DCSs are converged with respect to the multichannel coupling effect for the investigated intermediate energies. While agreement between our IAM-SCAR+I and SMCPP 89ch-SEP computations improves as the incident electron energy increases from 15 eV, overall the level of accord is only marginal. This is particularly true at middle scattering angles, suggesting that our SCAR and interference corrections are failing somewhat for this molecule below 50 eV. We also report experimental DCS results, using a crossed-beam apparatus, for excitation of some of the unresolved ("hybrid") vibrational quanta (bands I-III) of para-benzoquinone. Those data were derived from electron energy loss spectra that were measured over a scattered electron angular range of 10°-90° and put on an absolute scale using our elastic SMCPP 89ch-SEP DCS results. The energy resolution of our measurements was ∼80 meV, which is why, at least in part, the observed vibrational features were only partially resolved. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other experimental or theoretical vibrational excitation results against which we might compare the present measurements.

Here we report novel comprehensive investigations on the electronic state spectroscopies of isolated 2,4- and 2,6-difluorotoluene in the gas phase by high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoabsorption measurements in the 4.4-10.8 eV energy range, with absolute cross-section values derived. We also present the first set of ab initio calculations (vertical energies and oscillator strengths), which we have used in the assignment of valence transitions of the difluorotoluene molecules, together with calculated ionization energies to obtain the Rydberg transitions for both molecules. The measured absolute photoabsorption cross sections have been used to estimate the photolysis lifetimes of 2,4- and 2,6-difluorotoluene in the Earth's atmosphere.

We report differential and integral elastic cross sections for low-energy electron collisions with CF3Cl, CF2Cl2, and CFCl3 molecules for energies ranging from 0.1 eV to 30 eV. The calculations were performed using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials in the static-exchange and static-exchange plus polarization approximations. The influence of the permanent electric dipole moment on the cross sections was included using the Born closure scheme. A very good agreement between our calculations and the experimental results of Jones [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 813 (1986)], Mann and Linder [J. Phys. B 25, 1621 (1992); 25, 1633 (1992)] and Hoshino et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 138, 214305 (2013)] was found. We also compare our results with the calculations of Beyer et al. [Chem. Phys. 255, 1 (2000)] using the R-matrix method, where we find good agreement with respect to the location of the resonances, and with the calculations of Hoshino et al. using the independent atom method with screening corrected additivity rule, where we find qualitative agreement at energies above 20 eV. Additional electronic structure calculations were carried out in order to help in the interpretation of the scattering results. The stabilization the lowest σ(∗) resonance due to the exchange of fluorine by chlorine atoms (halogenation effect) follows a simple linear relation with the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals and can be considered as a signature of the halogenation effect.

We report absolute experimental integral cross sections (ICSs) for electron impact excitation of bands of electronic-states in furfural, for incident electron energies in the range 20-250 eV. Wherever possible, those results are compared to corresponding excitation cross sections in the structurally similar species furan, as previously reported by da Costa et al. [Phys. Rev. A 85, 062706 (2012)] and Regeta and Allan [Phys. Rev. A 91, 012707 (2015)]. Generally, very good agreement is found. In addition, ICSs calculated with our independent atom model (IAM) with screening corrected additivity rule (SCAR) formalism, extended to account for interference (I) terms that arise due to the multi-centre nature of the scattering problem, are also reported. The sum of those ICSs gives the IAM-SCAR+I total cross section for electron-furfural scattering. Where possible, those calculated IAM-SCAR+I ICS results are compared against corresponding results from the present measurements with an acceptable level of accord being obtained. Similarly, but only for the band I and band II excited electronic states, we also present results from our Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials calculations. Those results are found to be in good qualitative accord with the present experimental ICSs. Finally, with a view to assembling a complete cross section data base for furfural, some binary-encounter-Bethe-level total ionization cross sections for this collision system are presented.

We report results from a joint experimental and theoretical investigation into electron scattering from the important industrial species furfural (C5H4O2). Specifically, differential cross sections (DCSs) have been measured and calculated for the electron-impact excitation of the electronic states of C5H4O2. The measurements were carried out at energies in the range 20-40 eV, and for scattered-electron angles between 10° and 90°. The energy resolution of those experiments was typically ∼80 meV. Corresponding Schwinger multichannel method with pseudo-potential calculations, for energies between 6-50 eV and with and without Born-closure, were also performed for a sub-set of the excited electronic-states that were accessed in the measurements. Those calculations were undertaken at the static exchange plus polarisation-level using a minimum orbital basis for single configuration interaction (MOB-SCI) approach. Agreement between the measured and calculated DCSs was qualitatively quite good, although to obtain quantitative accord, the theory would need to incorporate even more channels into the MOB-SCI. The role of multichannel coupling on the computed electronic-state DCSs is also explored in some detail.

We report cross sections for electron-impact excitation of vibrational quanta in furfural, at intermediate incident electron energies (20, 30, and 40 eV). The present differential cross sections are measured over the scattered electron angular range 10°-90°, with corresponding integral cross sections subsequently being determined. Furfural is a viable plant-derived alternative to petrochemicals, being produced via low-temperature plasma treatment of biomass. Current yields, however, need to be significantly improved, possibly through modelling, with the present cross sections being an important component of such simulations. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other cross sections for vibrational excitation of furfural available in the literature, so the present data are valuable for this important molecule.

The electronic spectroscopy of isolated furfural (2-furaldehyde) in the gas phase has been investigated using high-resolution photoabsorption spectroscopy in the 3.5-10.8 eV energy-range, with absolute cross section measurements derived. Electron energy loss spectra are also measured over a range of kinematical conditions. Those energy loss spectra are used to derive differential cross sections and in turn generalised oscillator strengths. These experiments are supported by ab initio calculations in order to assign the excited states of the neutral molecule. The good agreement between the theoretical results and the measurements allows us to provide the first quantitative assignment of the electronic state spectroscopy of furfural over an extended energy range.

We report differential cross section results from an experimental investigation into the electron impact excitation of a number of the low-lying composite (unresolved) vibrational modes in phenol (C6H5OH). The measurements were carried out at incident electron energies in the range 15-40 eV and for scattered-electron angles in the range 10-90°. The energy resolution of those measurements was typically ∼80 meV. Calculations, using the GAMESS code, were also undertaken with a B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level model chemistry, in order to enable us to assign vibrational modes to the features observed in our energy loss spectra. To the best of our knowledge, the present cross sections are the first to be reported for vibrational excitation of the C6H5OH molecule by electron impact.

We report results from a joint theoretical and experimental investigation into electron scattering from the important organic species phenol (C6H5OH). Specifically, differential cross sections (DCSs) have been measured and calculated for the electron-impact excitation of the electronic states of C6H5OH. The measurements were carried out at energies in the range 15-40 eV, and for scattered-electron angles between 10° and 90°. The energy resolution of those experiments was typically ∼80 meV. Corresponding Schwinger multichannel method with pseudo-potentials calculations, with and without Born-closure, were also performed for a sub-set of the excited electronic-states that were accessed in the measurements. Those calculations were conducted at the static exchange plus polarisation (SEP)-level using a minimum orbital basis for single configuration interaction (MOBSCI) approach. Agreement between the measured and calculated DCSs was typically fair, although to obtain quantitative accord, the theory would need to incorporate even more channels into the MOBSCI.

We present experimental electron-energy loss spectra (EELS) that were measured at impact energies of 20 and 30 eV and at angles of 90° and 10°, respectively, with energy resolution ∼70 meV. EELS for 250 eV incident electron energy over a range of angles between 3° and 50° have also been measured at a moderate energy resolution (∼0.9 eV). The latter spectra were used to derive differential cross sections and generalised oscillator strengths (GOS) for the dipole-allowed electronic transitions, through normalization to data for elastic electron scattering from benzene. Theoretical calculations were performed using time-dependent density functional theory and single-excitation configuration interaction methods. These calculations were used to assign the experimentally measured spectra. Calculated optical oscillator strengths were also compared to those derived from the GOS data. This provides the first investigation of all singlet and triplet excited electronic states of phenol up to the first ionization potential.

We report on the shape resonance spectra of uracil, 5-fluorouracil, and 5-chlorouracil, as obtained from fixed-nuclei elastic scattering calculations performed with the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials. Our results are in good agreement with the available electron transmission spectroscopy data, and support the existence of three π∗ resonances in uracil and 5-fluorouracil. As expected, the anion states are more stable in the substituted molecules than in uracil. Since the stabilization is stronger in 5-chlorouracil, the lowest π∗ resonance in this system becomes a bound anion state. The present results also support the existence of a low-lying σCCl (*) shape resonance in 5-chlorouracil. Exploratory calculations performed at selected C-Cl bond lengths suggest that the σCCl (*) resonance could couple to the two lowest π∗ states, giving rise to a very rich dissociation dynamics. These facts would be compatible with the complex branching of the dissociative electron attachment cross sections, even though we cannot discuss any details of the vibration dynamics based only on the present fixed-nuclei results.

We report elastic integral and differential cross sections for electron scattering from the aza-derivatives of pyrrole, furan, and thiophene, namely, pyrazole, imidazole, isoxazole, oxazole, isothiazole, and thiazole. The calculations were performed within the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials, with inclusion of static, exchange, and polarization interactions, for energies up to 10 eV. We found two π* shape resonances and a high-lying σ* shape resonance in each system. A sharp low-energy σ* resonance was also identified in isothiazole and thiazole. Pyrazole and imidazole presented yet a broad low-lying σ* resonance. The positions of the resonances agree very well with existing experimental results. We discuss the similarities and differences among the resonances of these compounds.

We report on elastic integral, momentum transfer, and differential cross sections for collisions of low-energy electrons with thiophene molecules. The scattering calculations presented here used the Schwinger multichannel method and were carried out in the static-exchange and static-exchange plus polarization approximations for energies ranging from 0.5 eV to 6 eV. We found shape resonances related to the formation of two long-lived π∗ anion states. These resonant structures are centered at the energies of 1.00 eV (2.85 eV) and 2.82 eV (5.00 eV) in the static-exchange plus polarization (static-exchange) approximation and belong to the B1 and A2 symmetries of the C2v point group, respectively. Our results also suggest the existence of a σ∗ shape resonance in the B2 symmetry with a strong d-wave character, located at around 2.78 eV (5.50 eV) as obtained in the static-exchange plus polarization (static-exchange) calculation. It is worth to mention that the results obtained at the static-exchange plus polarization level of approximation for the two π∗ resonances are in good agreement with the electron transmission spectroscopy results of 1.15 eV and 2.63 eV measured by Modelli and Burrow [J. Phys. Chem. A 108, 5721 (2004)]. The existence of the σ∗ shape resonance is in agreement with the observations of Dezarnaud-Dandiney et al. [J. Phys. B 31, L497 (1998)] based on the electron transmission spectra of dimethyl(poly)sulphides. A comparison among the resonances of thiophene with those of pyrrole and furan is also performed and, altogether, the resonance spectra obtained for these molecules point out that electron attachment to π∗ molecular orbitals is a general feature displayed by these five-membered heterocyclic compounds.

We report momentum transfer cross sections for elastic collisions of low-energy electrons with the HCOOH···(H2O)n complexes, with n = 1, 2, in liquid phase. The scattering cross sections were computed using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials in the static-exchange and static-exchange plus polarization approximations, for energies ranging from 0.5 eV to 6 eV. We considered ten different structures of HCOOH···H2O and six structures of HCOOH···(H2O)2 which were generated using classical Monte Carlo simulations of formic acid in aqueous solution at normal conditions of temperature and pressure. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of microsolvation on the π* shape resonance of formic acid. Previous theoretical and experimental studies reported a π* shape resonance for HCOOH at around 1.9 eV. This resonance can be either more stable or less stable in comparison to the isolated molecule depending on the complex structure and the water role played in the hydrogen bond interaction. This behavior is explained in terms of (i) the polarization of the formic acid molecule due to the water molecules and (ii) the net charge of the solute. The proton donor or acceptor character of the water molecules in the hydrogen bond is important for understanding the stabilization versus destabilization of the π* resonances in the complexes. Our results indicate that the surrounding water molecules may affect the lifetime of the π* resonance and hence the processes driven by this anion state, such as the dissociative electron attachment.

In this paper we report original measurements of total cross sections (TCSs) for positron scattering from the cyclic ethers oxirane (C(2)H(4)O), 1,4-dioxane (C(4)H(8)O(2)), and tetrahydropyran (C(5)H(10)O). The present experiments focus on the low energy range from ∼0.2  to  50 eV, with an energy resolution smaller than 300 meV. This study concludes our systematic investigation into TCSs for a class of organic compounds that can be thought of as sub-units or moieties to the nucleotides in living matter, and which as a consequence have become topical for scientists seeking to simulate particle tracks in matter. Note that as TCSs specify the mean free path between collisions in such simulations, they have enjoyed something of a recent renaissance in interest because of that application. For oxirane, we also report original Schwinger multichannel elastic integral cross section (ICS) calculations at the static and static plus polarisation levels, and with and without Born-closure that attempts to account for the permanent dipole moment of C(2)H(4)O. Those elastic ICSs are computed for the energy range 0.5-10 eV. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other experimental results or theoretical calculations against which we can compare the present positron TCSs. However, electron TCSs for oxirane (also known as ethylene oxide) and tetrahydropyran do currently exist in the literature and a comparison to them for each species will be presented.

The authors report integral, differential and momentum transfer cross sections for elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by C(4)H(4)O (furan) molecules. Their calculations employed the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials and were performed in the static-exchange and in the static-exchange plus polarization approximations. The authors found two shape resonances located around 2.1 and 4.2 eV that belong to the B(1) and A(2) symmetries of the C(2v) group, respectively. The authors' results are consistent with recent measurements of vertical electron attachment energies.

1,1-difluoroethylene (1,1-C2H2F2) molecules have been studied for the first time experimentally and theoretically by electron and positron impact. 0.4-1000 eV electron and 0.2-1000 eV positron impact total cross sections (TCSs) were measured using a retarding potential time-of-flight apparatus. In order to probe the resonances observed in the electron TCSs, a crossed-beam method was used to investigate vibrational excitation cross sections over the energy range of 1.3-49 eV and scattering angles 90 degrees and 120 degrees for the two loss energies 0.115 and 0.381 eV corresponding to the dominant C-H (nu2 and nu9) stretching and the combined C-F (nu3) stretching and CH2 (nu11) rocking vibrations, respectively. Electron impact elastic integral cross sections are also reported for calculations carried out using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials for the energy range from 0.5 to 50 eV in the static-exchange approximation and from 0.5 to 20 eV in the static-exchange plus polarization approximation. Resonance peaks observed centered at about 2.3, 6.5, and 16 eV in the TCSs have been shown to be mainly due to the vibrational and elastic channels, and assigned to the B2, B1, and A1 symmetries, respectively. The pi* resonance peak at 1.8 eV in C2H4 is observed shifted to 2.3 eV in 1,1-C2H2F2 and to 2.5 eV in C2F4; a phenomenon attributed to the decreasing C=C bond length from C2H4 to C2F4. For positron impact a conspicuous peak is observed below the positronium formation threshold at about 1 eV, and other less pronounced ones centered at about 5 and 20 eV.

In the present work we report cross sections for electron collisions with the isomers propene (C3H6) and cyclopropane (c-C3H6). Electron-scattering differential cross sections (DCS) are reported for measurements carried out for energies 1.5-100 eV and the angular range of 20 degrees-120 degrees. Elastic integral cross sections (ECS), DCS, and momentum-transfer cross sections (MTCS) are reported for calculations carried out using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials for the energy range of 2.0-40 eV and angular range of 0 degrees-180 degrees. The resemblance of the pi* shape resonance in the cross sections, observed at 1.5-2.0 eV for propene, to those in C2H4 and C2F4 clearly points to the effect of the double bond in the molecular structures for these molecules. Below 60 eV, we observed clear differences in peak positions and magnitudes between the DCS, ECS, and MTCS for C3H6 and c-C3H6, which we view as the isomer effect.