Total elastic electron scattering cross section for N 2 between 0 and 1000 eV

We present the total cross section for elastic electron-nitrogen scattering for incident energies 0-1000 eV. The calculations were based on the multiple-scattering model utilizing fixed-nuclei and Slater-exchange approximations, and represent a prototype for application of this method to larger molecular targets for which it is primarily intended. We are able to reproduce the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}_{g}$ shape resonance at 2.4 eV and achieve quantitative agreement with absolute measurements at high incident energies by adopting, respectively, two potentials whose difference is based on reduced exchange and polarization interactions for high incident energy. New insight into the dynamics of electron-molecule scattering is gained by inspecting the decomposition of the cross section into component symmetries over the entire energy range covered.