SIMPLE APPROXIMATION FOR LOW-ENERGY TOTAL DETACHMENT CROSS-SECTIONS

The problem of electron detachment processes in low-energy H--He and H--Ar collisions is investigated within the zero-radius potential approximation of Demkov and Devdariani (1973), using ab initio data on the negative-ion molecular systems. It is shown that the strong-coupling region extends beyond the crossing point Rc of the neutral and ionic potential energy curves. Much information can be obtained from only the knowledge of the molecular quantities for R>Rc which can be obtained by standard molecular calculations. The scattering equations are solved in the sudden approximation allowing for a very simple approximation to the total cross sections; the results compare well with experimental data.