Multiple ionization of rare gases by hydrogen-atom impact

Abstract

Cross sections for the multiple ionization of He, Ne, Ar, and Kr by H${}^{0}$ impact with and without the simultaneous ionization (electron loss) of the projectile are presented in the energy range 75--300 keV. The data were measured by coincident detection of the recoil target ions and the charge-state analyzed scattered projectiles. To obtain information about the role played by the electron of H${}^{0}$ in the collision, the measurements were repeated with protons under the same experimental conditions. The measured data are analyzed using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method. CTMC describes well the experimental data for both projectiles for single vacancy creation; however, increasing deviation is observed between theory and experiment with increasing number of created vacancies and with decreasing target atomic number.