Four-body charge transfer processes in collisions of bare projectile ions with helium atoms

Abstract

Single-electron capture by a bare ion from a helium atom at intermediate and high energies in the framework of four-body distorted wave (DW-4B) approximation in both prior and post form has been considered. In the entrance channel, the initial bound state wave function is distorted by the incoming projectile ion, and the corresponding distortion is related to the Coulomb continuum states of the active electron and the residual target ion in the field of the projectile ion respectively. Continuum states of the active electron and the projectile ion in the field of the residual target ion are also included in the exit channel. It may be mentioned that the effect of dynamic electron correlation is explicitly taken into account through the complete perturbation potential. The total single-electron capture cross sections are obtained by summing over all contributions up to n = 3 shells and sub-shells respectively. In addition, the differential cross sections for alpha particle–helium collision are calculated at impact energies of 60, 150, 300, 450, and 630 keV amu−1, respectively. The cross sections exhibit a monotonically decreasing angular dependence, with clear peak structures around 0.1 to 0.2 mrad being found at low impact energies. The current theoretical results, both in prior and post forms of the transition amplitude for symmetric and asymmetric collision, are compared with the available theoretical and experimental results. Current computed results have been found to be satisfactory in comparison with other theoretical and experimental findings.