Theoretical study of electron processes in slow He2+-He collisions

Abstract

Electron excitation and transfer in He2+-He collisions have been studied in an energy interval of 4-65 keV u-1. The general features of these processes are discussed on the basis of two-electron molecular energies. These suggest a common mechanism for single-electron transfer and transfer-excitation transitions in slow collisions, and similarly for excitation and double-transfer transitions. Cross sections are determined within the semiclassical close-coupling method. At low energies, the strongest channel is resonant two-electron transfer. For the other, weaker channels the author finds that the population of any given state in the projectile is about equally strong as the equivalent state in the target. The results from this work compare well with data from a companion experimental study. The author also assesses a few one-electron transitions in collisions with metastable helium.