Stokes parameters and differential cross sections for electron impact excitation of the 2p53p J=1, 2 and 3 states of neon

Relativistic distorted-wave approximation calculations have been performed for the electron impact excitation of all the 2p53p J = 1, 2 and 3 states of neon from the ground 2p6 J=0 state. The results for differential cross sections and the Stokes parameters Pi, i=1-4, for the decay of the excited states by photon emission to the 2p53s states are calculated at 50 and 80 eV incident electron energies. These results are compared with recent non-relativistic distorted-wave calculations and with experimental measurements for the Stokes parameters. The alignment and orientation parameters γ, Pi and Lperpendicular are also presented and discussed. The overall agreement between our calculations for the Stokes parameters and experiment is satisfactory. More extensive experimental measurements would be desirable to provide additional comparisons with the theoretical data. (author)