Computation of total cross-sections for electron capture in high energy collisions. II

Abstract

The collision of target electrons with ionic projectiles, in highly asymmetric ion-atom collisions, can be simulated within the impulse approximation (IA) by a beam of electrons scattering off the projectile ion, with a collision energy broadened by the momentum distribution (Compton profile) of the target. This description works particularly well for 180° elastic scattering of target electrons off the ion (Phys. Rev. A 41 (1990) 4816 [1]) appearing in the laboratory as the well known binary encounter electron peak. Inelastic processes due to target-electron-projectile-electron interactions (e-e) such as e-e excitation (Phys. Rev. Lett. 62 (1989) 2261 [2]) and e-e ionization (Phys. Rev. Lett. 63 (1990) 1938; J. Phys. B 24 (1991) 977; Phys. Rev. A 46 (1992) 1374; Phys. Rev. Lett. 69 (1992) 3033, 72 (1994) 3170, 72 (1994) 3166 [3–8]) are also well documented. However, for these processes, the target electron undergoing inelastic scattering has never been explicitly identified and measured in ion-atom collisions. A simple theoretical Born-IA treatment gives the expected double differential cross sections and their angular distributions for H-like ions in collision with H2 targets. The viability of observing these effects in ion-atom collisions by electron spectroscopy is investigated.