Theoretical vibrational-excitation cross sections and rate coefficients for electron-impact resonant collisions involving rovibrationally excited N2 and NO molecules

Electron-impact vibrational-excitation cross sections, involving rovibrationally excited N2 and NO molecules, are calculated for collisions occurring through the nitrogen resonant electronic state N2-(X 2 Πg), and the three resonant states of nitric oxide NO−(3Σ−, 1Δ, 1Σ+). Complete sets of cross sections have been obtained for all possible transitions involving 68 vibrational levels of N2(X 1 Σg+) and 55 levels of NO(X 2Π), for incident electron energy between 0.1 and 10 eV. In order to study the rotational motion in the resonant processes, cross sections have also been computed for rotationally elastic transitions characterized by the rotational quantum number J running from 0 to 150. The calculations are performed within the framework of the local complex potential model, using potential energies and widths optimized to reproduce the experimental cross sections available in the literature. Rate coefficients are calculated for transitions between all vibrational levels by assuming a Maxwellian electron energy distribution function in the temperature range from 0.1 to 100 eV. All numerical data are available at http://users.ba.cnr.it/imip/cscpal38/phys4entry/database.html (paper)