Elastic electron scattering by halocarbon radicals in the independent atom model approach

In order to study the elastic scattering of electrons by CFn (n = 1 - 4) molecular targets the independent atom model (IAM) is used with the optical potential (OP) method. The scattering cross sections were calculated in two approximations of the model - the IAM approach is used for the differential, while the Additivity Rule (IAM-AR) is used for the integral cross sections. The amplitudes of electron scattering by the carbon and fluorine atoms of the target molecules are calculated from the corresponding phase shifts, using the real and complex optical potential method. The parameter-free real part of the OP is calculated from the corresponding atomic characteristics - nuclear charge, electron density and static dipole polarizability. The differential and integral cross sections are calculated at equilibrium internuclear distances of the CFn molecules. They were compared with the available experimental data and with other theoretical results. A good overall agreement was observed while comparing our integral cross sections with the measured data. The level of the agreement however strongly depends on the target molecule, and a good consistency is observed typically above certain collision energies: from 10 eV in case of CF2, above 15-20 eV for CF3 and from 40 eV in case of CF4. Similar tendencies were found in case of the differential cross sections for a wide range of scattering angles at collision energies above 10 eV in case of CF2, above 15-20 eV for CF3, while in case of CF4 - above 20 eV.