Electron impact cross sections for atmospheric species: 2. Molecular nitrogen

Using a modification of the Born Approximation, we synthesize a diverse body of experimental data related to molecular nitrogen into a set of analytic electron impact excitation and ionization cross sections. The generalized oscillator strengths of E. N. Lassettre, M. E. Krasnow, and A. Skeberle, and S. M. Silverman, serve as the primary data. However, relative angular distributions at low energies by C. B. O. Mohr and F. H. Nicholl are also used. In addition, optical data summarized by F. R. Gilmore, R. S. Mullikan, and G. R. Cook and M. Ogawa, and measured recently by R. E. Huffman, Y. Tanaka, and J. C. Larrabee, are applied to the problem. We also discuss the involvements of vibrational excitation and Franck-Condon factors in cross sections. Finally, parameters for the total cross sections using the simple analytic form of A. E. S. Green and C. A. Barth are given since these are more convenient for the purposes of application to atmospheric problems.