Correlation forces in electron-scattering processes via density-functional theory: Electron collisions with closed-shell atoms

A reliable knowledge of the short-range behavior of the generalized response function in low-energy electron scattering from atoms (or molecules) is a very important tool for the quantitative study of low-energy resonances, elastic- and inelastic-scattering cross sections, and the corresponding angular distributions. In the present study, a description of the required function is used by starting from a short-range representation of the correlation forces via local density-functional theory. Results are reported for elastic scattering from rare gases at various collision energies and rather good agreement is found in all cases both with experiments and with more sophisticated calculations. The physical correctness of the present approach and its capability of describing angular distributions and elastic collision processes over a broad range of energies through fairly simple calculations make it an attractive proposition for further extensions to molecular targets and to electronic excitation processes.