The impact of electron interaction with $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_4$, $\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{H}}_4$, and $\mathrm{Ge}{\mathrm{H}}_4$ molecules (i.e., tetrahedral molecules) is described here to calculate elastic differential, integral, and momentum-transfer cross sections as well as total (elastic plus inelastic) cross sections using a parameter-free spherical complex optical potential approach in the fixed nuclei approximation at energies from 0.1 to 100 eV. The optical potential is constructed from a near-Hartree-Fock one-center expansion of projectile-target interaction wave function. We demonstrate that the qualitative features of the scattering parameters [such as a Ramsauer-Townsend (RT) minimum and shape resonance] as observed in recent experiments, are very well reproduced in the present spherical model. The value of the RT minimum has been correlated with the scattering length to the dipole polarizability of the target molecule. The calculated cross sections are compared with available theoretical calculations and experimental measurements in this energy region.

• Received 15 March 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.97.052711