Superelastic electron scattering from calcium and lithium
Superelastic scattering experiment were performed on optically pumped calcium atoms at energies of 25.7 and 45 eV referred to the ground state. Orientation and alignment parameters derived from these experiments are compared with the predictions of several theories based on a distorted-wave formalism. The agreement between theory and experiment is unsatisfactory at the lower energy at all scattering angles. At the higher energy agreement improves at small scattering angles but is poor at middle angles. The results of our quantum electrodynamical calculation on optical pumping in lithium are compared with our observations. We find such good agreement between theory and experiment that we explore the possibility of superelastic scattering experiments on lithium atoms that are optically pumped with single-frequency laser light. A two-frequency pumping system is described and its use in the observation of superelastic scattering from lithium is discussed. Orientation and alignment parameters are presented at an equivalent energy of 21.8 eV for small angles. They are compared with those predicted by two close-coupling calculations. Excellent agreement is found between the present work and the convergent close-coupling theory of Bray.