Non-empirical model for the imaginary part of the optical potential for electron scattering

The authors propose a new kind of model for absorption of flux from the elastic scattering channel in electron-atom or electron-molecule collisions. It is a non-empirical model so it predicts the absorption cross section as well as the elastic scattering wavefunction and elastic differential cross sections. They have tested the model for electron scattering by He, Ne and Ar at impact energies 30-400 eV. Agreement with experiment is very good for both the absorption cross sections and elastic differential cross sections.