Triple Differential Cross Sections for the Ionization of Atomic Hydrogen by Electron Impact in the Coulomb-Projected-Eikonal Approximation

Abstract

The triple differential cross section for the electron-impact ionization of atomic hydrogen is analysed in a coplanar geometry by using the Coulomb-projected-eikonal approximation, where the two outgoing electrons are considered to be in uncorrelated Coulomb-continuum states. The scattering amplitude for the ionization is expressed as a three-dimensional integral in real space. A comparison is made with the experimental data and with results of other approximation methods. It is found that the method proposed here has some advantage over the conventional partial-wave technique and provides a better description both for the binary recoil collisions in the small momentum transfer condition.