Electron impact excitation of the a 3B1u electronic state in C2H4: an experimentally benchmarked system?

We report on differential and integral cross section measurements for the electron impact excitation of the lowest-lying triplet electronic state (ã 3B1u) in ethylene (C2H4). The energy range of the present experiments was 9 eV–50 eV, with the angular range of the differential cross section measurements being 15°–90°. As the ground electronic state of C2H4 is a 1Ag state, this singlet → triplet excitation process is expected to be dominated by exchange scattering. The present angular distributions are found to support that assertion. Comparison, where possible, with previous experimental results from the University of Fribourg group shows very good agreement, to within the uncertainties on the measured cross sections. Agreement with the available theories, however, is generally marginal with the theories typically overestimating the magnitude of the differential cross sections. Notwithstanding that, the shapes of the theoretical angular distributions were in fact found to be in good accord with the corresponding experimental results