Theoretical investigation of charge transfer between N6+and atomic hydrogen

Abstract

Charge transfer due to collisions of ground-state N{sup 6+}(1s{sup 2} S) with atomic hydrogen has been investigated theoretically using the quantum-mechanical molecular-orbital close-coupling (QMOCC) method, in which the adiabatic potentials and nonadiabatic couplings were obtained using the multireference single- and double-excitation configuration-interaction (MRDCI) approach. Total, n-, l-, and S-resolved cross sections have been obtained for energies between 10 meV/u and 10 keV/u. The QMOCC results were compared to available experimental and theoretical data as well as to merged-beams measurements and atomic-orbital close-coupling and classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations. The accuracy of the QMOCC charge-transfer cross sections was found to be sensitive to the accuracy of the adiabatic potentials and couplings. Consequently, we developed a method to optimize the atomic basis sets used in the MRDCI calculations for highly charged ions. Since cross sections, especially those that are state selective, are necessary input for x-ray emission simulation of heliospheric and Martian exospheric spectra arising from solar wind ion-neutral gas collisions, a recommended set of state-selective cross sections, based on our evaluation of the calculations and measurements, is provided.