Scattering of electrons from acetaldehyde and acetone

Absolute total cross sections (TCSs) for electron scattering from acetaldehyde [(CH3)CHO] and acetone [(CH3)2CO] molecules have been measured at electron-impact energy extending from 0.7 to 400 eV, using a linear electron-transmission technique. The shape of obtained TCS energy dependences appears typical for targets of high electric dipole moment; both TCSs decrease with the energy increase; only between 4 and 12 eV is a weak enhancement in TCSs is clearly perceptible. The experimental TCSs for (CH3)CHO and for (CH3)2CO are also compared with those for their cyclic isomeric counterparts: c-(CH2)2O and c-(CH2)3O, respectively.