Reprojection method for inelastic processes in atomic collisions within Born–Oppenheimer approach

Abstract

The paper provides a detailed description of the reprojection method for the exact solution of the nonadiabatic nuclear dynamics within the Born–Oppenheimer formalism. In particular, it discusses the asymptotic behaviour of a state-to-state transition probability when a nonadiabatic radial coupling for this transition has a nonzero asymptotic value—a fundamental feature of the Born–Oppenheimer approach. It is known that the conventional Born–Oppenheimer approach leads to divergency of inelastic cross sections and inelastic rate coefficients, while the reprojection method provides convergences. The article describes physical background of the reprojection method.

Keywords

• scattering theory
• inelastic collision processes
• nonadiabatic transitions
• atomic data