Positron and electron collisions with nitrous oxide: measured and calculated cross sections

We present cross-section results from an experimental and theoretical study on positron scattering from nitrous oxide. Total cross sections (TCSs) have been measured at incident energies between 0.1 and 70 eV with a linear-transmission-based positron spectrometer. Elastic differential and integral cross sections, as well as inelastic integral cross sections and TCSs, have been computed with two different theoretical approaches: the independent atom model with screening-corrected additivity rule (IAM-SCAR), at energies in the 1- to 1000-eV range, and the Schwinger multichannel method at energies between 0.1 and 10 eV. Note that the latter method specifically reports cross sections for the elastic channel. We find good qualitative agreement between the theories and the TCS experiment at all common energies. That level of accord is found to also become quantitative above the ionization energy of nitrous oxide. Electron-impact TCSs calculated with the IAM-SCAR approach are also presented and compared to the existing results in order to uncover any similarities or differences in the scattering processes between these two leptons and nitrous oxide.