Electron and positron collisions with polar molecules: studies with the benchmark water molecule

It is difficult to measure low-energy cross sections for collisions of charged particles with strongly dipolar systems since the magnitude of such cross sections is completely dominated by collisions in the forward direction. Theoretically, it is possible to account for the strong forward scattering using the Born approximation but the procedure for combining Born ‘top-up’ with the more sophisticated treatments required to treat the scattering in other directions is not unique. This comment describes recent progress in describing both electron and positron collisions with polar molecules taking the important water molecule as a benchmark. Previous calculations on electron water at collision energies below 7 eV are compared with new experiments. Positron water studies up to 10 eV are re-analysed based on given experimental acceptance profiles, which depend on the details of the apparatus and method used in the measurements. It is suggested that theory is capable of giving reliable results for elastic and rotationally inelastic electron/positron collisions with strongly dipolar species. PACS number: 34.80.Bm (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version.)