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Vibrational-excitation cross sections of ground electronic state of carbon dioxide molecule by electron-impact through the CO2-(2\Pi) shape resonance is considered in the separation of the normal modes approximation. Resonance curves and widths are computed for each vibrational mode. The calculations assume decoupling between normal modes and employ the local complex potential model for the treatment of the nuclear dynamics, usually adopted for the electron-scattering involving diatomic molecules. Results are presented for excitation up to 10 vibrational levels in each mode and comparison with data present in the literature is discussed.

Resonant vibrational-excitation cross sections and rate constants for electron scattering by molecular oxygen are presented. Transitions between all 42 vibrational levels of O$_2(\textrm{X}\ ^3\Sigma_g^- $) are considered. Molecular rotations are parameterized by the rotational quantum number $J$ which is considered in the range 1 to 151. The lowest four resonant states of O$_2^-$, $^2\Pi_g$, $^2\Pi_u$, $^4\Sigma_u^-$ and $^2\Sigma_u^-$, are taken into account. The calculations are performed using the fixed-nuclei R-matrix approach to determine the resonance positions and widths, and the boomerang model to characterize the nuclei motion. Two energy regions below and above 4~eV are investigated: the first one is characterized by sharp structures in the cross section, and the second by a broad resonance peaked at 10~eV. The computed cross sections are compared with theoretical and experimental results available in literature for both the energy regions, and are made available for use by modelers. The effect of including rotational motion is found to be non-negligible.

State-by-state cross sections for dissociative electron attachment and electron-impact dissociation for molecular oxygen are computed using ab initio resonance curves calculated with the R-matrix method. When O2 is in its vibrational ground state, the main contribution for both processes comes from the $^2\Pi_u$ resonance state of $O_2^-$ but with a significant contribution from the $^4\Sigma$ resonant state. Vibrational excitation leads to an increased contribution from the low-lying $^2\Pi_{g}$ resonance, greatly increased cross sections for both processes, and the threshold moving to lower energies. These results provide important input for models of O2-containing plasmas in nonequilibrium conditions., Comment: 5 figures

Resonant vibrational excitation cross sections and the corresponding rate coefficients for electron-N$_2$ collisions occurring through the N$_2^-(\textrm{X}\ ^2\Pi_g)$ resonant state are reviewed. New calculations are performed using accurate potential energies curves for the N$_2$ electronic ground state, taken from literature, and for the N$_2^-$ resonant state, obtained from $R$-matrix calculations. The calculations are extended also to the resonant excitation processes involving the N$_2$ ground state vibrational continuum, leading to dissociation. Electron impact dissociation is found to be significant from higher vibrational levels. Accurate analytical fits for the complete set of the rate coefficients are provided. The behavior of the dissociative cross sections is investigated for rotationally excited N$_2$ molecules, with $J=50,100$ and 150 and for different vibrational levels.

The physics of vibrational kinetics in nitrogen-containing plasma produced by collisions with electrons is studied on the basis of recently derived cross sections and rate coefficients for the resonant vibrational-excitation by electron-impact. The temporal relaxation of the vibrational energy and of the vibrational distribution function is analyzed in a state-to-state approach. The electron and vibrational temperature are varied in the range of [0,50000] K. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the derivation of reduced models and to the accuracy of a relaxation time formalism. A analytical fit of the vibrational relaxation time is given.

Electron-impact vi->vf vibrational excitations cross sections, involving rovibrationally excited N_{2}(v_{i}, J) and NO(v_{i}, J) molecules (fixed J), are calculated for collisions occurring through the nitrogen resonant electronic state N_{2}^{-} (X ^{2}\Pi_{g}), and the three resonant states of nitric oxide NO^{-}(^{3}\Sigma^{-},^{1} \Delta,^{1} \Sigma^{+}). Complete sets of cross sections have been obtained for all possible transitions involving 68 vibrational levels of N2(X ^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}) and 55 levels of NO(X ^{2}\Pi), for the incident electron energy between 0.1 and 10 eV. In order to study the rotational motion in the resonant processes, cross sections have been also computed for rotationally elastic transitions characterized by the rotational quantum number J running from 0 through 150. The calculations are performed within the framework of the local complex potential model, by using potentials energies and widths optimized in order to reproduce the experimental cross sections available in literature. Rate coefficients are calculated for all the (v_{i}, J) \rightarrow (v_{f}, J) transitions by assuming a Maxwellian electron energy distribution function in the temperature range from 0.1 eV to 100 eV. All the produced numerical data can be accessed at http://users.ba.cnr.it/imip/cscpal38/phys4entry/database.html., Comment: 15 pages, 12 Figures

Resonant vibrational and rotation-vibration excitation cross sections for electron-CO scattering are calculated in the 0-10 eV energy range for all 81 vibrational states of CO, assuming that the excitation occur via the 2{\Pi} shape resonance. Static exchange plus polarization calculations performed using the R-matrix method are used to estimate resonance positions and widths as functions of internuclear separation. The effects of nuclear motion are considered using a local complex potential model. Good agreement is obtained with available experimental data on excitation from the vibrational ground state. Excitation rates and cross sections are provided as a functions of the initial CO vibrational state for all ground state vibrational levels., Comment: 11 pages