Impact Parameter Dependence of L and K-Shell Excitation Mechanisms in Near Symmetric Heavy-Ion Collisions

Abstract

Results, on the impact parameter dependence of L‐shell vacancy production during heavy ion collisions are discussed in the framework of molecular orbital (MO) excitation mechanisms. It appears that excitation in the 4fσ MO and vacancy transfer in the 3pσ, 3dπ, and 3dσ MO through 3pπ ‐ 3pσ and 3dδ ‐ 3dπ ‐ 3dσ rotational couplings reproduce fairly well the experimental results for near‐symmetric systems. Using the experimental results on the impact parameter dependence of the projectile L‐vacancy production probability, the multiple collision process of Meyerhof et al. of 2pσ‐vacancy production is considered in the case of I ‐ Ag collisions. It is found that this process dominates K‐vacancy production at large impact parameters, whereas at small impact parameter the experimental results can be explained by a single‐collision direct excitation process from the coupled 2pπ and 2pσ MO's.