Elastic and inelastic processes in H++CH4 collisions in the low-kilo-electron-volt regime

Electron capture and direct elastic scattering in collisions of H+ ions with CH4 molecules are studied by using a molecular representation within a fully quantum-mechanical approach below 1.5 keV. Calculations are carried out at two different molecular configurations: (i) C3v symmetry, in which H+ approaches along the direction of a C-H in CH4, and (ii) C2v symmetry, in which H+ approaches along a bisector of a H-C-H bond angle. We find that electron capture in the C2v symmetry configuration takes place preferentially over that in the C3v symmetry configuration at scattering angles below 15 degree at 1.5 keV, and that the situation reverses at larger scattering angles. Hence, interferences arising from these molecular configurations on differential cross sections for electron capture and elastic scattering processes are present but weak, except for angles near the crossing. Accordingly, the total cross section for the C2v symmetry is larger by more than an order of magnitude, because in this symmetry H+ can penetrate deep inside the electron distribution of the CH4 molecule, causing a strong interaction. In addition, angular dependence in the differential cross section is quite different for the two molecular configurations at all energies studied