Typescript / 110 leaves : ill. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics, 1967

by Ng King-man. / Bibliography: leaves 87-89 / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

Theoretical investigations of electron-inert gas scattering are challenging because of the complex target structure. The electron-Helium system has been the most studied both at low and intermediate energies by sophisticated R-matrix and coupled channels methods. For the other inert gases, few calculations have been attempted at the same level sophistication. One problem is that general target-structure codes provide different forms of wave functions that must be interfaced with the scattering equations. The theoretical work presented in this thesis is based on the momentum-space coupled channels equations. For this formalism only one and two-electron atoms have been studied and purpose-built routines, specific to these atoms, have been developed. For the inert gases however such a task is much more formidable and a more practical approach is to use existing structure codes that have taken several man-years to develop. The framework of this thesis comprises of two parts. In the first part we discuss the need for, and the way to, modify the existing close-coupling code developed by Berge & Stelbovics in order to interface with other atomic structure packages in the literature. Two mainstream packages, an atomic structure package of Charlotte Froese Fischer and an atomic structure of Alan Hibbert are discussed. Methods to extract the wave functions for Helium and Neon targets using Hibbert's package are given. In the second part, various options and strategies for the calculation of the target structure, including frozen-core and configuration-interaction wave functions, using analytic Slater, Laguerre or numerical orbitals are considered for the Helium target. Hibbert's structure code wave functions are shown to be correctly interfaced into our momentum-space coupled channels code. The pros and cons of the various target structure descriptions are given and applied for lowenergy elastic and inelastic scattering of electron from Helium.

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Recent developments in semiconductor physics have led to a new field of study, namely the study of nanostructures. Nanostructures are the future for electronic devices. In this project the conductance of electrons through nanostructures will be considered. The structures examined in this project are similar in design. The goal will be to examine the conductance through these structures.The methodology in use for finding the conductance of a nanostructure is the recursive Green's function method. This includes finding the transverse eigenvalues and eigenfunctions and computing hopping integrals to determine the Green's propagators. The conductance is obtained following these steps. For the numerical calculations a structured FORTRAN computer program was developed.As stated earlier, the future electronic devices will utilize the developments of conductance through components having dimensions on the nanometer scale. These dimensions, theoretically, will allow faster operation and smaller units. The theoretical development of this project will propagate the knowledge and understanding of conductance in this regime. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

A wide variety of inelastic scattering and electron attachment phenomena have been studied by directing an electron beam into a gas filled chamber and by observing the results of the interaction. The use of a "monoenergetic" electron beam has permitted the relative cross sections for such processes to be examined in some detail. Three instruments were used to make the measurements, and these instruments were designed and constructed during the course of the work to be described. All three employed a 127° electrostatic electron velocity selector to filter the electron beam. An electron energy analyzer permitted the observation of inelastically scattered electrons, and a monopole or a quadrupole mass filter permitted the measurement of the relative amounts of positive or negative ionization generated by the electron beam in its interaction with the gas. The measurement of the energy dependence of the cross sections was the prime objective of the work, and much care was taken in the design of the instruments to ensure that the cross section curves were not distorted by spurious effects. The forward inelastic scattering spectra of helium and ethylene were recorded using an electron beam having an incident energy of 50 eV . The ionization efficiency curves of singly and doubly charged helium were obtained, and the results are compared with several theoretically derived expressions for electron impact threshold laws. The positive ionization efficiency curves for nitrogen and oxygen were also obtained. An examination of the dissociative capture, non-dissociative capture and ion pair processes has been made by determining the energy dependence of the cross sections for the production of the parent and/or fragment negative ions from nine molecules. Finally, the generation of zero energy electrons from inelastic scattering events has been studied by using sulfur hexafluoride as an electron scavenger in a mixture with the sample gas. The threshold electron impact spectra were obtained for six atomic and molecular species. In all cases, such measurements were carried out below and above the ionization potential of the sample. / Science, Faculty of / Chemistry, Department of / Graduate

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