Classical-trajectory Monte Carlo calculations of the electronic stopping cross section for keV protons and antiprotons impinging on hydrogen atoms

Abstract

Using the classical-trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method, the electronic stopping cross sections of hydrogen atoms by protons and antiprotons impact are calculated. The results show that the CTMC method compares fairly well with previous quantum mechanics calculations of the stopping cross sections for the same colliding pairs. It turns out therefore that the CTMC method constitutes a reliable and, computationally speaking, convenient alternative to calculate the stopping of ions in matter. The present results also show that the stopping appears to be particularly sensitive to the angular momentum (L) of the electron orbit. In the case of protons, the highest sensitivity to L becomes evident around the energy of the maximum stopping. While for antiprotons the largest sensitivity of the stopping to L is observed down at low bombarding energies, i.e., below 10 keV.