Ionization and excitation of some atomic targets and metal oxides by electron impact

We have calculated total inelastic and total ionization cross-sections for collisions of electrons on atomic targets oxygen (O), aluminium (Al) and copper (Cu) and metal oxides AlO and Al2O, at impact energies from near excitation threshold to 2000 eV. A complex (optical) energy-dependent, interaction potential is used to derive total inelastic cross-sections resulting from ionization as well as excitation processes. The inelastic cross-sections are bifurcated into discrete and continuum contributions and total ionization cross-sections have been deduced therefrom. Our calculation also provides information, hitherto sparse, on the excitation processes in the atomic targets O, Al, Cu and metal oxides AlO, Al2O. Adequate comparisons are made with other theoretical and experimental data. (author)