Calculation of electron scattering lengths on Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn and Og atoms

Abstract

Focusing on the noble gases, we calculate the scattering potential using the Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian supplemented with a model polarization potential. We determine the scattering lengths using two methods, namely phase shifts for very small scattering energies and the shape of the wave function for zero scattering energy. We compare our theoretical electron scattering length results on Ar, Kr and Xe atoms with existing experimental and theoretical data. In turn, the results obtained for the first time for Rn and Og atoms require independent confirmation. The analysis conducted indicates that the source of the greatest uncertainty in the obtained results is the literature values of dipole polarizability. The study used the GRASP2018 computational package for bound states and the modified COWF code for continuum states.