Dielectronic recombination of lithium-like Ar15+

Dielectronic recombination (DR) of Ar¹⁵⁺(1s ²2s) ions was studied in a single-pass merged-beams experiment at the UNILAC (universal linear accelerator) of GSI. Absolute recombination rates and cross sections were measured for electron-ion center-of-mass energies from 0 to 580 eV. A number of Rydberg states formed by DR with 2s → 2p (Δn=0) and 2s → 3? (Δn=1) core excitations and even individual terms in the 1s ²3?3?′ configuration could be resolved. Theoretical calculations of DR cross sections are in good overall agreement with the data. In the calculations for Δn=0 transitions, effects of electric fields have to be included to reproduce the magnitude of the measured DR rates at the limit of the 2 _{p 1/2}? and 2 _{p 3/2}? Rydberg series. Discrepancies between theory and experiment are observed at the series limits of the (1s ²3?n?′) Rydberg series.     

Electron capture and target excitation in slow ion-alkali atom collisions

Experimental cross sections for single electron capture and target atom resonance line emission in impact of singly charged ions (He⁺, Ne⁺, Ar⁺, C⁺, N⁺, O⁺) on respectively Li(2s) and Na(3s) are presented and compared with semiempirical calculations of the Demkov-Olson type. It is shown that such calculations can still be useful despite involvement of metastable primary ion admixtures and several final states. In addition, observed undulations in the impact energy dependence of electron capture — and target excitation cross sections are discussed.     

Calculation of Ionization,Excitation and Electron Capture Cross Sections for Be4++H(2s, 2p) Collisions

A computational study of Be⁴⁺+H(2s, 2p) collisions has been carried out employing the Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method for the impact energy range from 20 keV/u to 1000 keV/u. The integral n partial cross sections for H(n) excitation and Be³⁺(n) electron capture and, the total ionization and electron capture cross sections are calculated and compared to recent semiclassical results. A general good agreement is observed for the n partial and total electron capture and ionization cross sections. The comparative study of the three inelastic processes show no significant differences between both excited targets.     

Coherence parameters for He+(2p) capture and H(2p) excitation in He2+-H(1s) collisions

Semiclassical coupled channel calculations have been carried out for the collision system He²⁺-H(1s) in the velocity range 0.15–3.0 a.u. (impact energies 0.5–225 keV/amu) in order to study capture probabilities and alignment and orientation parameters for the dominant He⁺(n=2) channels. A 14-state AO basis set calculation has been combined with an analytical treatment of the asymptotic collision region. For impact velocities about and abovev=0.6 a.u. a strong propensity for resonance capture into an oriented He⁺(2p) state with the same sense of rotation as the collisional rotation of the internuclear axis is predicted together with a very smooth behaviour of the alignment angle as function of impact parameter. Eikonal method calculations of differential capture cross sections predict that the left/right orientation asymmetry will prevail in differential scattering experiments. The resulting total cross sections for capture into specificnl-substates (n=2, 3) and the total light polarisation parameter for He⁺(2p) capture compare well with previous work. Finally we report H(2s,2p) excitation cross sections, probabilties and H(2p) alignment and orientation parameters, following the established propensity rule for orientation in H(2p) excitation.     

Doubly autoionizing capture resonances ine + Mg+ collisions

Fine details in the cross section for electron impact ionization of Mg⁺ ions (configuration 1s ² 2s ² 2p ⁶ 3s) have been measured with an energy resolution of 0.3 eV. Structure on top of a smooth direct-ionization “background” reflects the presence of indirect ionization mechanisms. Such contributions in a Na-like ion involvenon-resonant excitation of a 2p electron to singly autoionizing intermediate states subsequently decaying into the channel of net single ionization of the parent ion. We observe even stronger indirect contributions fromresonant excitation of a 2p electron with simultaneous dielectronic capture of the projectile electron into doubly autoionizing states which decay by successive emission of two electrons.     

Theoretical study of single-electron capture in He2+ —H− collision

We present a detailed theoretical treatment of single-electron transfer between He²⁺ and H^?. The total cross section is calculated using stationary molecular states which are appropriate in the energy range covered by the experiments (between 0.5 and 2250 eV in the centre of mass frame). We use an expansion on a two-electron basis built with one-electron diatomic molecule (OEDM) orbitals and including the common translation factor of Errea et al. All coupling terms are calculated explicitly. Because of the small binding energy of H^? compared to that of the ground state of He⁺, capture occurs into highly excited states of He⁺. Results obtained with a straight-line quasiclassical calculation are in good agreement with the experimental data. At low energy, He⁺ (n=5) +H(1s) is the dominant capture channel; at higher energy, the He⁺ (n=4) + H(1s) channel becomes important. The rise in the cross section below 6 eV can be attributed to the Coulomb attraction in the incoming channel. To account for this effect, a fully quantal calculation has been performed. The agreement with the low-energy measurements is then excellent.     

Calculation of the photo-electrons angular distribution asymmetry parameter β2p near the (3s3p)1 P resonance of He*

Near the (3s3p)¹ P resonance of He, we have calculated the photoelectrons angular distribution asymmetry parameter β_2p in the diagonalization approximation. Using the measured value of β _n=2 near the (3s3p)¹ P level obtained by Lindle et al. in the resonance photo-ionization of He to He^?(n=2), we have estimated the ratioR=σ_2p /σ_2s of the partial 2p photo-ionization cross section to the partial 2s photo-ionization cross section. Our calculation supports the result that in the resonance region, the formation of ions in the 2p level dominates over the 2s level. This is in good agreement with the experimental and most of the theoretical results reported to date.     

Quasi-resonant energy transfer in collisions: Na2(A1Σ u + )+K(4S)

Cross sections for electron energy transfer from the initial rotational stateJ′of the two lowest vibrational levelsv′=0 andv′=1 of excited dimers Na₂(A) to potassium atoms as described by Na₂(A¹Σ _u ⁺ ,v′J′)+K(4S)→Na₂ (X¹Σ _g ⁺ ,v″J″)+K(4P)+ΔE have been examined by laser-induced fluorescence. A strong increase of the cross section by as much as an order of magnitude has been observed for those dimerv′J′-levels for which the dipole transitions are close to resonance of the 4S-4P transitions in the atom (ΔE<4 cm^?1). The absolute cross sections for energy transfer have been calculated by the Rabitz approximation of first-order perturbation theory. In the case of closest energy resonance (ΔE=0.9 cm^?1) the cross section is Q=7.8×10^?13 cm².     

Differential cross sections and angular correlation functions in electron-hydrogen scattering for energies betweenn=3 andn=4 thresholds

Differential cross sections and electron-photon angular correlation functions for electron impact excitation of hydrogen atoms in the energy range between then=3 andn=4 thresholds were calculated using the algebraic variational method. The cross sections and correlation functions show complicated and irregular structures associated with overlapping resonances in different partial waves. The availability of these quantities may help interested experimentalists to determine resonance positions, and also may furnish an important test of the adequacy of the computations.     

Collision spectroscopy with aligned and oriented atoms

Electron capture processes in the H⁺?Na(3s) and H⁺?Na(3p) collisions are experimentally investigated in the 0.3–3 keV energy range using a crossed beam experiment. The excited Na(3p) target is produced with a well-defined alignment using laser pumping. The time of flight technique enables the identification of all the H(n)+Na⁺ channels populated in the collision. Total cross section ratios σ_3p (n=2)/σ_3s (n=2),σ_3p (n=3)/σ_3s (n=2) and σ_3s (n=3)/σ_3s (n=2) for the production of H(n=2) and H(n=3) are measured in the H⁺?Na (3s) and H⁺?Na (3p) collisions. They reveal a strong dominance of the production of H(n=2) in the H⁺?Na(3p) collision, especially for energies below 1 keV.     

Measurement of neutron-capture cross section and capture γ-ray spectrum of 105Pd(n,γ)106Pd reaction

We measured the neutron-capture cross section and the capture γ-ray spectrum of the ¹⁰⁵Pd(n,γ)¹⁰⁶Pd reaction with about 550 keV neutrons produced from the ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be reaction at a 3-MV Pelletron accelerator. The capture yields of the palladium or gold sample were obtained by applying a pulse-height weighting technique to the corresponding net capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra. The neutron-capture cross section of the ¹⁰⁵Pd(n,γ)¹⁰⁶Pd reaction was determined with errors less than 5 % by using the standard capture cross sections of ¹⁹⁷Au. The neutron-capture γ-ray spectrum was obtained by unfolding the observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra. Theoretical calculations of cross sections and γ-ray spectra with the Empire code have been performed by utilizing the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model. The calculated results have a good agreement with present measurements.     

Coherent excitation of H(n=2) in H+, H - He collisions

The coherent excitation of H(n=2) in H⁺, H - He collisions was investigated at incident energies of 5–25 keV. From a polarization analysis of the emitted Lyman-α radiation as a function of an external electric field, the partial cross sections for excitation to the H(2s) and the H(2p _m) magnetic substates and the real part of thes ?p ₀-coherence were extracted. For H⁺-He collisions, the measured partial cross sections are in fair agreement with previous two-electron calculations by Kimura and Lin; the agreement with one-electron calculations of Jain et al. is, particularly at the lower incident energies, less satisfactory. For both collision systems, an energy-dependent forward-backward asymmetry corresponding to a shift of the center-of-charge relative to the center-of-mass (dipole moment) was observed. In H⁺ - He collisions, the measured dipole moment was positive; it thus corresponds to an electron trailing behind the proton. The same analysis applied to the H - He system showed the electron riding in front of the proton.     

Photoionization of the 2s, 2p and 3s subshells of Mg+

We present calculations of total and partial photoionisation cross sections for the 2s, 2p and 3s subshells of Mg⁺ from their ionisation thresholds up to a photon energy of 220 eV. Photoelectron angular distribution parameters are also calculated for the 2p subshell. Oscillator strengths are given for discrete structure, and calculated energy levels compared with experimental values. The significance of electron correlations and two electron excitation for this atomic ion is discussed.     

Electron scattering differential cross sections for C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 by gas phase electron diffraction - binding effects

Experimental differential cross sections for 40 keV electrons scattered by C₂H₂, C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ molecules were measured using the gas electron diffraction method in the range of the scattering variable s from s = 1 A^?1 to s = 30 A^?1. The differential cross sections for neon were also measured and compared with calculated differential cross sections to calibrate the diffractograph. Experimental differential cross sections show significant deviations with respect to theoretical differential cross sections calculated from the Debye-Ehrenfest model, mainly in the range of small scattering angles. The observed differences are connected to chemical binding effects. From the experimental data, an estimation of the binding energy was carried out. The deduced values: ?0.58 ± 0.20 au for C₂H₂, ?0.94 ± 0.30 au for C₂H₄ and ?1.23 ± 0.40 au for C₂H₆ are in agreement with those obtained by thermochemical methods.     

Resonance photoionisation of the metastable 21,3 S helium near then=2 andn=3 excitation thresholds of He

Diagonalisation calculations of line profile parametersq for a few^1,3 P resonances in the photoionisation of singlet and triplet metastable helium are performed near then=2 andn=3 excitation thresholds of He⁺. From the analysis and comparison of calculated values, the symmetric and asymmetric characters of resonance lines near then=2 andn=3 thresholds respectively are shown. In addition, near then=3 excitation threshold, a comparison is made with helium ground-state photoionisation for a few¹ P resonances, together with a discussion on the character of changes occurring in the line profile parameters.     

Electron impact and single photon ionization cross sections of neutral silver clusters

Neutral silver atoms and small clusters Ag _n (n=1...4) were generated by sputtering, i.e. by bombarding a polycrystalline silver surface with Ar⁺ ions of 5 keV. The sputtered particles were ionized by a crossed electron beam and subsequently detected by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. In alternative to the electron impact ionization, the same neutral species were also ionized by single photon absorption from a pulsed VUV laser (photon energy 7.9 eV), and the photoionization cross sections were evaluated from the laser intensity dependence of the measured signals. By in situ combining both ionization mechanisms, absolute values of the ratio σ _e (Ag _n )/σ _e (Ag) between the electron impact ionization cross sections of silver clusters and atoms could be determined for a fixed electron energy of 46 eV. These values can then be used to calibrate previously measured relative ionization functions. By calibrating the results using literature data measured for silver atoms, we present absolute cross sections for electron impact ionization of neutral Ag₂, Ag₃ and Ag₄ as a function of the electron energy between threshold and 125 eV.     

Photo- and chemically-produced phylloquinone biradicals: EPR and ENDOR study

Phylloquinone biradical triplet species were generated by 300 nm irradiation of frozen (77 K) solutions or by treatment with AlCl₃. The shape of the (Δm_s=1) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal of the triplet is axially symmetric (E=0) with D=19±0.5 mT for photo-induced and D=11.2±0.5 mT for chemically induced radicals. A half-field signal (Δm_s=2) in the region of g≈4 was detected in both cases, confirming its assignment as a triplet. An additional line arising at the center of the (Δm_s=1) signal with g=2.0048±0.0002 was assigned to the phylloquinone radical anion (PhQ⁻). Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) measurements of the triplet revealed the sign of the D parameter. For photo-generated radicals it appeared to be negative, which is the characteristic of radical dimers with well-separated partners (biradicals). Spin–spin distances of 5.3 and 6.3 Å, respectively, were estimated from the D parameter of photo-generated and chemically prepared phylloquinone biradicals.     

Electron transfer from laser excited rydberg atoms to molecules. Absolute rate constants at low and intermediate principal quantum numbers

Using mass spectrometric detection of positive and negative ions, we have investigated ionizing reactions of Ne(ns,nd) Rydberg atoms, efficiently excited by resonant two-photon excitation of metastable Ne(3s ³ P ₂) atoms, with electron attaching moleculesBC (BC=SF₆, CCl₄, CS₂, O₂) at thermal collision energies. Absolute rate constants have been determined in the range of low and intermediate principal quantum numbersn(5≦n?30) by utilizing the photoionization signal caused by room temperature black-body radiation and the loss of Ne(3s ³ P ₂) atoms, associated with the laser excitation. Substantially differentn-dependences of the electron transfer cross section have been found for the larger molecules (BC = SF₆, CCl₄) and the smaller molecules (BC = CS₂, O₂). Simple model calculations have been performed to gain new insight into the dynamics of the electron transfer process; forBC = SF₆, our results at lown(5 ≦n ≦ 10) suggest that internal energy conversion in the Coulombic complex Ne⁺ — SF ₆ ^? is important for the formation of the detected ions.     

Experimental study of electron impact excitation of multiply charged ions

We report on measurements of angular differential cross sections for the excitation of multiply charged ions by electron impact. An ion beam is crossed by an electron beam; electrons which are inelastically scattered at different angles are identified by their energy loss due to the excitation process. Absolute excitation cross sections are obtained by comparing the signals of the elastic and the inelastic electron-ion scattering. Results obtained for the 3s→3p excitation of Ar⁷⁺ are discussed.