Electron-molecule collision calculations: a primer

Abstract Electron–molecule collisions drive many natural phenomena and are playing an increasing role in modern technologies. Over recent years, studies of the collision processes have become increasingly driven by quantum mechanical calculations rather than experiments. This tutorial surveys important issues underlying the physics and theoretical methods used to study electron–molecule collisions. It is aimed at nonspecialists with suitable references for further reading for those interested and pointers to software for those wanting to perform actual calculations.