Positron scattering from interstellar phosphorus-bearing compounds

Abstract

This article reports an investigation of positron impact scattering from several phosphorus-bearing compounds detected in the interstellar medium. The targets studied are HCP, CCP, CP, PN, and PO. For our theoretical model, we employed the spherical complex optical potential (SCOP) and complex scattering potential - ionization contribution (CSP-ic) methods. We computed the positron impact integral cross-sections for a wide range of energies, from 1 eV to 5000 eV in a fine energy grid. These cross-sections include positronium formation, direct ionization, total ionization, elastic, differential, and total cross-sections. We compared our newly reported data to molecules with similar structures to assess the quality of the calculated data. These results provide a valuable benchmark for future experimental and theoretical research on these targets.