Z3 correction to the stopping power of ions in an electron gas.

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The Z/sup 3/ correction to the stopping power of an ion moving through a homogeneous electron gas is derived using a response-function formalism. An expression for the quadratic density response function which enters the stopping-power formula is obtained in the random-phase approximation and is evaluated in a limit appropriate to low ion velocities v. The equivalence of the response-function formalism and a scattering-theory approach is demonstrated in this limit and numerical results of the two approaches are compared as a function of the ion charge Z. The quadratic response theory is shown to be a reasonable approximation for high densities and low Z.