Low-velocity ion slowing down in binary ionic mixtures

Abstract

We focus our attention on the low ion velocity stopping mechanisms in a multicomponent and dense target plasmas built of quasi-classical electron fluids neutralizing binary ionic mixtures such as deuterium–tritium of current fusion interest, proton-helium like iron in the solar interior or proton-helium ions considered in planetology, as well as other mixtures of fiducial concern in the heavy ion beam production of warm dense matter at Bragg peak conditions. The target plasma is taken in a multicomponent dielectric formulation à la Fried-Conte. We stress out the occurrence of projectile ion velocities (so-called critical) for which target electron slowing down equals that of the given target ion components. The corresponding multi-quadrature computations, albeit rather heavy, can be monitored analytically through a very compact code operating a PC cluster. Slowing down results are systematically scanned w.r.t. target temperature, electron density as well as ion composition.