Calculations of Polarizabilities and Their Gradients for Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

Abstract

We illustrate for a set of small hydrocarbons, CH4, C2H4, C3H6 and C3H8, the important role of the electric dipole polarizability tensor and its geometric derivatives in theoretical models of electron energy-loss spectra (EELS). The coupled cluster linear response method together with Sadlej's polarized valence triple zeta basis set of atomic orbitals were used to calculate the polarizabilities and polarizability gradients. Incorporation of these ab initio data into the discrete momentum representation method (DMR) leads to perfect agreement between theory and collision experiments.