ECAMP 15

The ionization of the water molecule by electron and positron impact has been theoretically studied through calculations of the triple differential cross section (TDCS) at low and intermediate impact energies. The Molecular Three Coulomb Wave with Variable Charge (M3CWZ) model is employed, where the incident, scattered, and ejected particles are described using Coulomb waves with a variable charge 𝑍(𝑟). The post-collision interaction (PCI) is rigorously accounted for and treated exactly. Numerical results are systematically compared with experimental data and other theoretical approaches across various kinematic conditions. For electron impact, the M3CWZ model successfully reproduces experimental measurements, particularly at intermediate and low energies. For positron impact, the results exhibit strong agreement with theoretical predictions, capturing key ionization features that call for further experimental validation. This study provides deeper insights into the ionization dynamics of molecular systems and contributes to advancing theoretical models of charged-particle collisions.