Comparison of calculated and experimental thermal attachment rate constants for SF6 in the temperature range 200-600 K

Electron-attachment cross sections are calcualted for the process e(-) + SF6 yields SF6(-) in the energy range 1-200 meV. An electron scattering approximation is used in which diatomiclike potential energy curves near the equilibrium SF6 ground state are constructed from recent spectroscopic data. Excellent agreement is found over the entire energy range with experimental attachment cross sections at a temperature of 300 K for s-wave (l = 0) scattering. The same calculation, with appropriate adjustment of the thermal populations, is used to calculate attachment rate constants in the range 50-600 K for both s- and p-wave scattering.