The transfer of angular momentum to atoms by electron impact at large linear momentum transfers

It is shown that, in the second-order Faddeev-Watson multiple-scattering approximation to electron-hydrogen collisions, angular momentum tends to be transferred to the atom in a direction normal to that of the scattered particle if the linear momentum transfer is large. This is in contrast to the first Born approximation which predicts the angular momentum transfer to be always normal to the linear momentum transfer. Other theoretical predictions are examined. (author)