Effect of Polarization Potential on Proton–Sodium Inelastic Scattering

Inelastic collisions of protons with sodium atoms are treated for the first time within the framework of the coupled static and frozen core approximations. The method is used for calculating partial and total cross-sections with the assumption that only two channels (elastic and hydrogen formation in 2s-state) are open. The calculations are carried out, in each case, for seven values of the total angular momentum ℓ(0 ≤ ℓ ≤ 6). In the second channel, the effect of “switching on” the polarization potential of hydrogen (in 2s-state) on the coupled static cross-sections is investigated. Although the resulting hydrogen (in 2s-state) formation cross-sections are smaller than the elastic ones, their large values should draw the attention of experimental and theoretical physicists to the field of proton–alkali atom collisions. Our results for the total hydrogen (2s-state) formation cross-sections and those determined by previous authors are in reasonable agreement.