Molecular Physics of Elementary Processes Relevant to Hypersonics: Electron-Molecule Collisions

Non-resonant, electron-impact, vibro-electronic excitation cross sections, involving vibrationally excited N2 molecules, to the mixed valence-Rydberg b,c,o 1Πu and b′,c′,e′ 1Σu+ singlet states are presented. These cross sections are calculated using the so-called similarity approach, accounting for the vibronic coupling among excited states, and compared with the experiments and different theoretical calculations. New cross sections for the electron-impact resonant vibrational excitation of CO2 molecule are calculated, for the symmetric stretching mode, as a function of the incident electron energy and for the transitions (υi , 0,0)→(υf , 0,0) with υi = 0,1,2 and for some selected value of υf in the interval υi ≤ υf ≤10. A resonance potential curve and associated widths are calculated using the R-matrix method. Rate coefficients, calculated by assuming a Maxwellian electron energy distribution function, are also presented for the same (υi,0,0)→(υf,0,0) transitions. Electron-impact cross sections and rate coefficients for resonant vibrational excitations involving the diatomic species N2, NO, CO, O2 and H2, for multi-quantic and mono-quantic transitions, are reviewed along with the cross sections and rates for the process of the dissociative electron attachment to H2 molecule, involving a Rydberg excited resonant state of the H2- ion.