Low-energy electron scattering by tetrahydrofuran

Cross sections for elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by tetrahydrofuran, a prototype for the furanose ring found in the backbone of DNA, have been measured and calculated over a wide energy range, with an emphasis on energies below 6 eV, where previous data are scarce. The measurements employ a thin-aperture version of the relative-flow method, while the calculations employ the Schwinger multichannel method with an extensive treatment of polarization effects. Comparisons with earlier results, both experimental and theoretical, are presented and discussed. A proper accounting for the strong permanent electric dipole of tetrahydrofuran is found to be essential to obtaining reliable cross sections, especially at energies below 5 eV.