Experimental and theoretical studies of ion--molecule scattering

Incomplete total cross sections were measured for K+ scattered by He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, N2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, CF4 and SF6. Measurements were carried out in the range E theta/sub R/ = 2 to 200 eV deg, where E is the energy of the K+ beam and theta/sub R/ is the resolution angle of the apparatus. Methods are developed for the spherically symmetric systems to calculate the classical incomplete total cross section as a function of the reduced resolution angle, tau/sub R/ = E theta/sub R/. Computed cross sections are compared to the experimental results for the rare gases and ''best fit'' potentials are determined in the region of the attractive well. Two different mathematical models are used in the analysis; the complementarity of the results indicates that, within experimental uncertainty, the potentials are largely independent of the mathematical model used to describe the potential. The results are compared with theoretical and experimental work from other laboratories