Scattering asymmetries of polarized electrons that have excited fine-structure levels of mercury atoms

Dummler M, Bartsch M, Geesmann H, Hanne G, Kessler J

Abstract

The scattering asymmetry of polarized electrons is a source of information about spin-dependent interactions in electron-atom collisions. In inelastic scattering from mercury one has an interplay between the spin-orbit interaction and exchange interaction. Neglecting the spin-orbit interaction of the continuum electron in the field of the target atom results in simple relations between the asymmetries after excitation of the Hg states 63P0, 1, 2. While in former measurements the three fine-structure levels could not be completely resolved, the present experiment, performed with a newly designed electron detection system, yields more information about the validity of the approximation mentioned above for low energies. The asymmetries were measured in the angular range of 30’-130’ at energies between 6.5 and 15 eV. © 1990 IOP Publishing Ltd.