Electron Loss Processes

Abstract

Electron loss, or stripping of projectiles is a competitive charge-changing process to electron capture (Chap. 4), both playing an important role in many fields of physics, for example, in accelerator physics due to their strong influence on ion-beam lifetimes, beam intensities, energy losses (stopping power) and so on. In this chapter, the general features of electron-loss (EL) processes of fast many-electron ions are discussed including the role of the target-density effect, the Bragg’s additivity rule and other topics. A special attention is paid to multiple-electron loss (MEL) processes which are of a especial importance at low and intermediate collision energies where they significantly (up to more than 50%) enhance the total EL cross sections.