A closed-form expression is derived for angular-resolved vibrational tranistion probabilities of diatomic molecules in electron scattering using a simple two-center spectator model. The vibration is approximated by a harmonic oscillator and the final rotational states are summed. A vibrational factorization formula relating transition probabilities for initially vibrationally excited molecules to those out of the vibrational ground state is presented. The results are compared with recent calculations and experiments for highly vibrationally excited ${\mathrm{Na}}_2$ at collision energies of 150 eV.

• Received 17 April 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.44.R4095