Joint experimental and theoretical study on electron scattering from titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) molecule

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Quantum Chemistry
• Scattering Theory

Background:

• Understanding electron scattering from molecules is crucial for various fields, including plasma physics and atmospheric chemistry.
• Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) is a molecule with limited available data regarding its electron scattering properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally measure the absolute grand-total cross section for electron scattering from TiCl4.
• To theoretically calculate elastic, differential, momentum transfer, and total ionization cross sections for TiCl4.
• To investigate the presence of resonances and other low-energy phenomena in electron-TiCl4 scattering.

Main Methods:

• Absolute grand-total cross section measured using a linear electron-transmission experiment.
• Low-energy cross sections calculated using the Schwinger multichannel method and the R-matrix method.
• Intermediate-energy interactions investigated with the additivity rule and binary-encounter-Bethe methods.

Main Results:

• Measured absolute grand-total cross section from 0.3 to 300 eV.
• Calculated elastic integral, differential, momentum transfer, and total ionization cross sections.
• Observed a Ramsauer-Townsend minimum around 1 eV and a sharp increase at low energies, indicative of a virtual state.

Conclusions:

• The study provides comprehensive cross-section data for electron scattering from TiCl4.
• The observed Ramsauer-Townsend minimum and virtual state offer valuable insights into the electron-molecule interaction dynamics.
• The theoretical calculations complement the experimental measurements, enhancing the understanding of TiCl4's scattering behavior.