Resonant Charge Exchange in an Electrostatic Field

Abstract

The effect of an electrostatic field existing, for example, in plasma on the resonant charge exchange at collision velocities significantly lower than the charge exchange electron velocity is estimated using the small-radius potential model. It is established that the application of a field with a sufficient magnitude leads to a decrease in the charge exchange cross section. For example, in the case of the H– + H → H + H– reaction, a field of ∼107 V/cm decreases the charge exchange cross section by an order of magnitude.