Charge exchange and ionization in hydrogen atom-fully stripped ion collisions in Debye plasmas

Abstract

The processes of charge exchange and ionization in collisions of ground state hydrogen atom with fully stripped ions in a weakly coupled plasma are studied by the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method in the collision energy range 10-900 keV/amu. The inter-particle interactions are described by the Debye-Huckel model with inclusion of dynamical effects associated with the projectile velocity. The microcanonical distribution of initial state electronic coordinates and momenta has been determined by inclusion of plasma screening effects. The cross section dependences on plasma parameters and ion charge and velocity are investigated. It is shown that plasma effects on charge exchange and ionization cross sections are significant and particularly pronounced at low collision velocities. The results of systematic cross section calculations for different values of Debye screening length (in the range 1-50a0) and ion charges (in the range 1-14) are presented.