Double electron capture by Ar3+from rare-gas atoms

Abstract

The processes of double electron capture in collisions between multiply charged Ar3+ ions and He, Ne, Ar and Kr have been studied using translational energy spectroscopy. The measurements show that the dominant reaction channels are due to capture from the ground state 3p3 4S of Ar3+ ions into high excited states of Ar+; there is clear evidence of the presence of first and second metastable states in the incident ion beam.