Magnetic field effects on cross section of inelastic electron–ion collisions

Abstract

The magnetic field effects on the cross section of inelastic electron–ion collisions on 1s→2p dipole transition of hydrogenic ions are calculated. An atmospheric pressure plasma in thermodynamic equilibrium imbedded in an external, constant, and homogeneous magnetic field is considered. The magnetic field and plasma screening effects on the bound states of hydrogenic ion are included. The longitudinal dielectric function for magnetoactive plasmas is used to describe the interaction potential. The semiclassical straight-line trajectory approximation is used to the motion of the projectile electron. The partial cross section of electron-impact excitation of hydrogenic ions is derived as a function of the impact parameter, projectile energy, Larmor frequency, and plasma parameters. The scaled partial cross section of the electron-impact excitation including the magnetic field effect is always smaller than one without the magnetic field. When the Larmor frequency increases, the magnetic field effect decreases. For larger projectile velocity the differences between the partial cross section of electron-impact excitation for different magnitude of magnetic field becomes more significant.