Influence of the ion beam interaction with the crystal electrons on the angular distribution of channeled ions

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of crystal electrons on the angular distribution of channeled protons passing through a thin silicon crystal. The effect of crystal electrons on the 2 MeV proton beam channeled through a thin Si crystal plays an important role in the experimentally observed angular distributions. Using the crystal rainbow effect, we have morphologically compared the experimental and theoretical angular distributions of channeled protons and corresponding rainbow lines, with and without the effect of crystal electrons. Our results demonstrate that the influence of crystal electrons affects the angular focus of the channeled ions in the vicinity of the rainbow lines, which are the envelope of this angular distribution. These findings provide insights into the energy loss mechanisms for protons channeled through thin silicon crystals and can have implications for future studies in ion beam physics.