State Selective Electron Capture by State Prepared Beams of Multiply Charged Ions in Atomic Hydrogen

Abstract

State selective electron capture by state prepared ground state ions of C2+, N2+ and O2+ in collisions with atomic hydrogen has been studied in the energy range 1.5–6 keV using the technique of double translational energy spectroscopy. In the case of C2+/H system it is clear from this comparison that whilst experiment and theory agree that the C2+(2s2p2) 2D state is the dominant product state there are considerable differences for the other C2+ product states. For the N2+/H system the experimental measurements confirm the predicted dominance of N+(2s2p2) 3Do formation but show that significant yields of other product states are formed. The only significant O+ product state resulting from the one-electron capture process by ground state O2+ 3P with H at 6 keV is O+ (2s2p4) 4P confirming theoretical calculations.