Electron-molecule scattering and molecular photoionization using the multiple-scattering method

Abstract

We adapt the multiple‐scattering method to treat unbound electronic states of molecules in the independent electron approximation. An inhomogeneous linear system is derived whose solution yields the K matrix for the electron‐molecule interaction. Using the K matrix, we derive continuum electronic wavefunctions by imposing boundary conditions corresponding to electron‐molecule scattering and molecular photoionization, i.e., the wavefunctions satisfy the so‐called outgoing‐wave and incoming‐wave normalization, respectively. These wavefunctions are then used to obtain expressions for elastic scattering and photoionization differential cross sections.