Polarization wake of penetrating ions: oscillator model

Abstract

The wake potential induced by a swift nonrelativistic ion has been studied theoretically for a random stopping medium consisting of quantal-harmonic-oscillator atoms. The primary purpose has been to study the influence of atomic binding on the frequently-studied wake potential in a Fermi gas. Quantitative comparisons at constant plasma frequency and increasing oscillator frequency show a gradual decrease in wavelength and a slight decrease in amplitude of the oscillatory part of the wake potential, as well as a systematic decrease in screening of the near-field next to the projectile. These findings can be expected on the basis of the Drude-Lorentz formula for the effective resonance frequency. We find a distinct dependence of the induced potential on the ion charge as long as the plasma frequency exceeds the oscillator frequency. In the opposite case of a dominating oscillator frequency we find little difference between the field induced by a point charge and that by a neutral atom. As an application area we briefly discuss the proximity effect in the energy loss of molecular ions. We find that the polarization wake modifies the proximity effect, in contrast to the frequently-expressed view that it causes the proximity effect.