Target-Thickness Dependence of Radiative Electron Capture in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Abstract

We show how the target-thickness dependence of heavy-ion-induced x-ray production cross sections can be used to normalize the measured $K$ REC (radiative electron capture) intensity to the fraction of incident ions with $K$ vacancies. Experimental REC cross sections for Cl ions on Cu targets are in good agreement with the free-electron theory of Bethe and Salpeter if it is assumed that all of the $M$- and $N$-shell electrons in Cu contribute to the REC process.