Computational and theoretical studies of electron and positron collisions with atomic and molecular systems

我们正在研究原子和分子系统中电子和正电子（电子的反粒子）的碰撞。我们运行大规模的计算机程序来计算当自由电子和正电子从气体中的原子和分子中散射出来时会发生什么。我们与实验小组密切合作，他们正在测量这些过程，以了解它们所涉及的基本物理。这有助于我们发展更好的理论模型，在最详细的量子力学水平上描述这些碰撞，并帮助实验学家解释他们的测量结果。我们还使用我们的数据来帮助建立一种x射线探测器的模型，这种探测器被称为气体比例闪烁计数器，例如用于卫星上的x射线天文学。我们的计算对于开发更好的光源和等离子显示面板也很重要。

We are investigating the collisions of electrons and positrons (which are the antiparticles of electrons) from atomic and molecular systems. We run large-scale computer programs to calculate what happens when free electrons and positrons scatter from atoms and molecules in a gas. We work closely with experimental groups who are measuring these processes in order to understand the fundamental physics which they involve. This helps us to develop better theoretical models to describe these collisions at the most detailed quantum mechanical levels possible and aids the experimentalists in interpreting their measurements. We also use our data to help model an x-ray detector called a gas-proportional scintillation counter which is used in x-ray astonomy aboard satellites, for example. Our calculations are also important for developing better lighting sources and plasma display panels.