This book is a short outline of the present state of the theory of electron collisions with atomic particles - atoms, molecules and ions. It is addressed to those who by nature of their work need detailed information about the cross sections of various processes of electron collisions with atomic particles: experimentalists working in plasma physics, optics, quantum electronics, atmospheric and space physics, 'etc. Some of the cross sections have been measured. But in many important cases the only source of information is theoretical calcu­ lation. The numerous theoretical papers dealing with electronic collision processes contain various approximations. The inter­ relation between them and the level of their accuracy is often diffi­ cult to understand without a systematic study of the theory of atomic collisions, not to mention that theoretical considerations are necessary for the consistent interpretation of experimental results. The main constituents of the book are: 1. General theory with special emphasis on the topics most impor­ tant for understanding and discussing electron collisions with atomic particles.

Introduction: General Description of Electron Collision Processes with Atomic Particles.- 0.1 The Concept of Cross Section.- 0.2 Interaction of Electrons with Atomsor Atomic Ions.- 0.3 Some Information about Atomic Structure.- 0.4 General Characteristics of the Cross SectionCalculation Methods.- 0.5 Collision Processes of Electrons with Moleculesand Molecular Ions.- Scattering of a Particle by a Potential.- 1.1 The Wave Function: Scattering Amplitude.- 1.2 Partial Waves Expansion.- 1.3 The Jost Function and its Properties.- 1.4 Scattering of a Slow Particle by a ShortRange Central Field: Resonances.- 1.5 Effect of a Long-range Tail in the Potentialwhich Falls as r-4.- 1.6 Effect of the Coulomb Attractive Potentialon Slow Particle Scattering.- 1.7 Scattering by Two Short-Range Nonoverlapping Potentials.- 1.8 Scattering by an Electric Dipole.- 1.9 Scattering of Fast Particles: Various Approximations.- Scattering of a Particle with Spin: Polarization Phenomena.- 2.1 Amplitude Matrix.- 2.2 The Density Matrix Formalism.- 2.3 Expressions for Observable Quantities.- 2.4 Polarization of a Beam of Particles.- 2.5 Scattering of a Partly-Polarized Beam.- The Simplest Two-Channel System.- 3.1 Formulation of the Problem: Boundary Conditions: S-matrix.- 3.2 Elastic Scattering Below the Threshold:Resonances.- 3.3 Cusps.- 3.4 Cross Sections Above the Threshold.- 3.5 Effect of an Attractive Coulomb Field.- Collisions of Electrons with Atoms and Ions: General Theory.- 4.1 Wave Function of the System: Amplitudes andCross Sections.- 4.2 The Total Spin Representation: Separation ofthe Spin Variables.- 4.3 Reduction of the Many-Channel Problem.- 4.4 Partial Waves: The Total Angular MomentumRepresentation.- 4.5 The Jost Matrix and Related Matrices.- 4.6 Effects of Closed Channels.- 4.7 Correlation and Polarization Phenomena.- Approximate Methods for Electron-Atom Collisions: Cross Section Calculations.- 5.1 Methods for the Approximate Solution of theMany-Channel Problem.- 5.2 The Born Approximation and its Modifications.- 5.3 The Glauber Approximation.- 5.4 Classical Mechanics (Binary Approximation).- Elastic and Inelastic Scattering of Electrons by Atoms and Positive Ions.- 6.1 Hydrogen.- 6.2 Helium.- 6.3 Alkali Metal Atoms (Li, Na, K, Cs).- 6.4 Other Atoms: References and Comments.- 6.5 Collisions of Electrons with Positive Ions.- Ionization.- 7.1 Threshold Behavior of the IonizationCross Section.- 7.2 The Differential Cross Sections: General Relations.- 7.3 Ionization Through Excitation of AutoionizingStates: Postcollision Interaction.- 7.4 Hydrogen.- 7.5 Helium.- 7.6 Total Ionization Cross Sections for Various Atoms.- Rotational and Vibrational Excitation of Molecules.- 8.1 Excitation of Rotation of Two Atom Molecules Below the Vibrational Threshold.- 8.2 Excitation of Vibrations and Combined Rotational-Vibrational Transitions.- Dissociation of Molecules.- 9.1 Dissociative Attachment.- 9.2 Dissociative Recombination.- 9.3 Dissociation Through Electronic Excitation.- References.