Fully relativistic distorted wave calculations of electron impact excitation of gallium atom: Cross sections relevant for plasma kinetic modeling

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part B: Atomic spectroscopy 2024-03, Vol.213, p.106860, Article 106860
• Main Authors: Suresh, Indhu, Priti, Srivastava, R., Gangwar, R.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electron impact excitation cross section; Gallium atom; Multiconfigurational Dirac-Fock wavefunctions; Plasma kinetic models; Relativistic distorted wave method
• ISSN: 0584-8547; 1873-3565
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2024.106860

Electron impact excitation cross sections of neutral Ga are calculated using the relativistic distorted wave approximation with the aid of multiconfigurational Dirac-Fock wavefunctions. The cross sections are calculated from the fine structure resolved levels of the 4s24p manifold, i.e., from the ground 2P1/2 and the first excited state 2P3/2, to the fine structure resolved levels of the manifolds 4s24pdf, 4s4p2(4P1/2,4P3/2, and 4P5/2), 4s25spdf, 4s26spdf, 4s27spdf, and 4s28spdf for incident electron energies ranging from threshold to 500 eV. Where available, a comparison of the calculated oscillator strengths, transition probabilities, and cross sections with the previously reported results has been performed. The cross sections for the excitation from 4s24p2P1/2 to 4s24f, 4s4p2(4P1/2,4P3/2, and 4P5/2), 4s25f, 4s26f, 4s27df, and 4s28spdf and all the excitation cross sections from 4s24p2P3/2 are calculated and reported for the first time for a wide range of electron energies. Furthermore, the rate coefficients are also calculated using the present cross sections for an electron temperature varying from 0.5 to 5 eV. An analytic fitting of the calculated rate coefficients is provided to facilitate their inclusion in various plasma kinetic models. [Display omitted] •Fine structure resolved EIE cross sections of Ga atom using the RDW approach.•Reported new cross sections for excitation from ground and first excited state.•Comparison of the cross sections with previously reported calculations.•Calculated rate coefficients with Maxwellian electron energy distribution function.•Provided analytic fitting of the rate coefficients to facilitate plasma modeling.