Spin polarisation and scattering asymmetry for electron impact excitation of the (6s6p) states of mercury: DWBA treatment

Distorted-wave Born approximation results for the spin polarisation and the scattering asymmetry for electron impact excitation of the (6s6p) 1 P 1 and (6s6p) 3 P 0,1,2 states of mercury are presented and compared with presently available experimental data. The sensitivity of the results to the atomic wavefunctions and to the relativistic approximation is examined. The predictions of the 'fine-structure effect' are investigated and results for single magnetic sublevels are given.