Differential elastic electron scattering by pentane

We report measurements and calculations of the differential cross sections for elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by pentane, ${\mathrm{C}}_5{\mathrm{H}}_{12}$. The incident energies measured are at 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, and 100 eV, and the calculations covered energies up to 100 eV. The range of experimental scattering angles is from 5° to 130°. We compare our experimental and theoretical values to each other and to available experimental and theoretical data for linear $n$-alkanes.

Figure 1

Stick-and-ball model of pentane $({\mathrm{C}}_5{\mathrm{H}}_{12})$.

Figure 2

Integral cross section (ICS) for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane, in the static-exchange plus polarization approximation () and experimental elastic ICS $(•)$ for pentane. We compare our results with experimental total cross section (TCS) () from [15] and calculated data for $n$-pentanol () obtained with the SMCPP method [37].

Figure 3

Symmetry decomposition according to the $C_{2v}$ point group of the ICS for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane. See text.

Figure 4

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane at 1, 1.5, and 2 eV. We present results in the SEP approximation and compare with the experimental data for pentane. Legend is the same as Fig. 2.

Figure 5

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane at 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 eV. We present results in SEP approximation. We compare our DCS with calculated DCS for $n$-pentanol [37]. Legend is the same as Fig. 2.

Figure 6

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane at 50 and 100 eV. We present results in the SE (- - - -) approximation and compare with present experimental data (•).

Figure 7

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane from 5 to 10 eV showing the f-wave distributions at these energies.

Figure 8

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by pentane at $\theta ={90}^{\circ }$ as a function of $E_0$. Legend: Experiment at $\theta ={90}^{\circ }$ as a function of $E_0$; SEP DCSs; $•$ normalized experimental DCSs at $\theta ={90}^{\circ }$ from Table 1. The inset shows the experimental DCSs for $E_0\le 2\mathrm{eV}$. See text.

Figure 9

DCSs for elastic scattering of electrons by ethane, propane, butane, and pentane for selected $E_0$ values. Legend: Ethane: Tanaka et al. [46]; Mapstone and Newell [47], $\times$ Curry and Newell [48], Merz and Linder [49], ◊ Rawat et al. [9], and □ Fink et al. [50]. Propane: Boesten et al. [10] and Souza et al. [12]. Butane: Sanches et al. [13]. Pentane: $•$ Present experiment and present calculations. See text for discussion.