Two-center interference effects on the electron capture process by alpha particles from molecular hydrogens

The single-electron capture process in the collision of fast alpha particles with hydrogen molecules is treated using the first-order Born approximation with correct boundary conditions. The results are obtained by considering both the inter-nuclear and nuclear–electronic interactions and by employing a Hartree–Fock molecular wave function. Double differential cross sections are evaluated for the electron capture from a molecular target with a fixed orientation. In the fixed-nuclei approximation, the differential cross sections are calculated for an equally-weighted averaging over all molecular orientations. The interference patterns, due to the scattering from two atomic centers, are apparent in different forms both in the double differential cross sections and in the cross sections as a function of the angle between the molecular axis and the incident direction. Integrated cross sections are calculated and compared with other theoretical and experimental results.