Scattering-angle-dependent multiple ionisation cross sections in high-energy heavy-ion-atom collisions

Abstract

For the collision system 1.4 MeV u-1 U32+ on Ne the authors present multiple ionisation (MI) cross sections showing their dependence on the projectile scattering angle theta using a recently developed time-of-flight spectrometer (TOFS) to determine scattering angles theta of the order of 10-5 rad. The differential cross sections (d sigma (q)/d theta ) for the production of recoil ions with charge state q are compared with calculations made in the semiclassical quantum statistical approach. Assuming a recoil-ion charge-state-independent classical scattering potential and the validity of classical binomial statistics, single ionisation probabilities Ps( theta ) are calculated from the experimental (d sigma (q)/d theta ) and compared with theoretical values.