Collision integrals for interactions involving atoms in electronically excited states

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate calculation of transport collision integrals is crucial for modeling plasmas and atmospheric phenomena.
• Previous methods often lack comprehensive data for excited atomic states, particularly for nitrogen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive transport collision integrals for low-lying excited states of nitrogen atoms and ions.
• To validate a proposed phenomenological model against experimental and theoretical data.
• To extend the phenomenological approach to high-lying excited states.

Main Methods:

• A phenomenological approach was employed to derive transport collision integrals.
• The derived results were compared with those obtained from a traditional multipotential procedure.
• The model was validated using nitrogen-oxygen atom-atom interactions.
• The method was extended to consider symmetric interactions of excited hydrogen atoms.

Main Results:

• Transport collision integrals for low-lying excited states of nitrogen were successfully derived.
• Deviations between the phenomenological and multipotential methods were critically analyzed.
• The proposed phenomenological model demonstrated good agreement with oxygen interactions, validating its applicability.
• The extension to high-lying states provided insights into interactions involving complex atomic systems.

Conclusions:

• The phenomenological approach provides a reliable method for calculating transport collision integrals for excited atomic states.
• The validated model can be applied to a wider range of atomic species and excitation levels.
• This work contributes to a more accurate understanding of atomic collision processes in various physical environments.