Differential cross sections for excitation of the 3s ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$S° and 3p ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$P states of atomic oxygen by electron impact are calculated in a close-coupling approximation at energies 13.87, 20, 30, and 50 eV. We include 2${\mathit{p}}^4$ ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$P, 3${\mathit{s}}^{5,3}$S°, 3${\mathit{p}}^{5,3}$P, 4${\mathit{s}}^{5,3}$S°, 3 ${}_{}{}^{5,3}{}_{}{}^{}$D°, 4${\mathit{p}}^{5,3}$P, and 3s’ ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$D° states of atomic oxygen in the close-coupling expansion. The present results are in good agreement with the recent experiments for the resonance ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$P–3${\mathit{s}}^3$S° transition, but there are discrepancies between theory and experiment for the electric dipole-forbidden ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}$P–3${\mathit{p}}^3$P transition.

• Received 19 March 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.42.320