We use the polyatomic Schwinger variational method with Padé corrections to calculate the cross section and asymmetry parameter for the sulfur 1s core level photoionization of SF6, for photon energies from threshold up to 2600 eV. Our results show very good agreement with experimental cross sections. Our asymmetry parameter show good qualitative agreement with experiment. A resonant feature at a photon energy of ≈2550 eV is found to be due to a nonvalence type resonant state which is trapped by an l=9 angular momentum barrier.

rnWe present a technique to generate Cartesian Gaussian bases for electronic configuration and cross-section calculations on molecules. The technique is specially useful for pseudopotential work, when the bases cannot be tabulated because they depend on the specific choice of the pseudopotential.

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We report elastic integral, differential and momentum transfer cross sections for low-energy electron scattering by the cellulose components β-D-glucose and cellobiose (β(1 → 4) linked glucose dimer), and the hemicellulose component β-D-xylose. For comparison with the β forms, we also obtain results for the amylose subunits α-D-glucose and maltose (α(1 → 4) linked glucose dimer). The integral cross sections show double peaked broad structures between 8 eV and 20 eV similar to previously reported results for tetrahydrofuran and 2-deoxyribose, suggesting a general feature of molecules containing furanose and pyranose rings. These broad structures would reflect OH, CO and/or CC σ* resonances, where inspection of low-lying virtual orbitals suggests significant contribution from anion states. Though we do not examine dissociation pathways, these anion states could play a role in dissociative electron attachment mechanisms, in case they were coupled to the long-lived π* anions found in lignin subunits [de Oliveira et al., Phys. Rev. A, 2012, 86, 020701(R)]. Altogether, the resonance spectra of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose components establish a physical-chemical basis for electron-induced biomass pretreatment that could be applied to biofuel production.