Absolute elastic and inelastic electron scattering cross sections for xenon in the 15-100 eV impact-energy region

Absolute differential cross sections (DCS) for elastic electron scattering and for electron impact excitation of xenon to the states 6s( 3 / 2 ) 1,2 were measured with the static-gas-target technique. In the energy range from 40 to 100 eV (elastic) and from 15 to 100 eV (inelastic) angles were varied from 3 degrees (elastic) and 6 degrees (inelastic) to 135 degrees . The integral cross section for elastic scattering was calculated by subjecting the differential cross sections to a phaseshift analysis. A representation of the inelastic DCS in terms of the generalized oscillator strength was used to determine the optical oscillator strength of the excitation to the state 6s( 3 / 2 ) 2 and the integral electron impact excitation cross section. Our data were compared with recent theoretical results.