Electronic transitions in highly charged ion-atom collisions

Abstract

Three different aspects of electronic transitions in fast, highly charged ion-atom collisions are discussed. First, experimental data and n-CTMC calculations for differential multiple ionization cross sections of 1.4 MeV u U 32+on rare gas atoms are presented. It is shown that the electronic motion has a dramatic influence on the kinematics of the emitted particles (in particular the nuclei). The possibility is discussed to measure in fast ionizing processes by a recoil ion-projectile coincidence technique the internal sum momentum of “electron clusters” in atoms. This new “technique” opens a new field of atomic structure research at high-energy heavy-ion accelerators. Second, the use of the H-like heavy ions as projectiles is discussed to measure, through observable interference structures, static and dynamic properties of transiently formed superheavy quasimolecular systems. Third, the “ancient” gas target-solid target difference in the impact-parameter dependence of K-shell ionization in nearly symmetric ion-atom collisions is presented. This severe discrepancy between gas and solid still remains an unsolved fundamental problem in the field of inner-shell ionization in the MO regime.