{
  "abstract": "We present an implementation of electron-impact scattering in ASTRA, a close-coupling method based on transition density matrices previously applied to molecular photoionization. The scattering states are obtained with a pole-free Galerkin method with variational surface matching, which yields the scattering matrix and the channel-resolved amplitudes for elastic and electronically inelastic integral cross sections and molecular-frame differential cross sections. For helium, ASTRA reproduces elastic and inelastic cross sections over a broad energy range, resolves the He$^-$(1s2s$^2$ $^2$S$^e$) Feshbach resonance in both energy and angle, and captures the principal interference structures in the n=2 excitation angular distributions, in selected channels matching measured differential-cross-section ratios more closely than available benchmark calculations. For molecular hydrogen, target polarization and interchannel coupling are represented through additional close-coupling channels, without a fitted polarization potential or a separately constructed (N+1)-electron correlation space. Compared with the restricted-channel description, the expanded calculations substantially improve agreement with UKRmol+ for elastic and inelastic cross sections. We further report fully orientation-resolved three-dimensional molecular-frame angular distributions for state-resolved electron-impact excitation. These reveal pronounced stereodynamic effects that vanish upon orientational averaging: at 15 eV, excitation of the b$^3Σ_u^+$ state is more than eight times stronger for incident momentum parallel rather than perpendicular to the molecular axis. These results connect conventional scattering benchmarks with orientation-resolved collision dynamics and open the way to larger molecular targets.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.41026",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Siddhartha Chattopadhyay"
    },
    {
      "name": "Thomas C. Allison"
    },
    {
      "name": "Luca Argenti"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0mdzmwxbddxm5.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.41026",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0mdzmwxbddxm5",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.41026",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.atom-ph"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.chem-ph"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.plasm-ph"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.41026",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0mdzmwxbddxm5.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:21:15Z",
      "native_id": "2610.41026",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.41026"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.chem-ph",
      "subfield": "physical"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.atom-ph",
      "subfield": "amo"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.plasm-ph",
      "subfield": "plasma"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Electron Scattering with ASTRA: Helium and Molecular Hydrogen",
  "title_text": "Electron Scattering with ASTRA: Helium and Molecular Hydrogen",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T15:20:51Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0mdzmwxbddxm5",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}