On the theory of (e, 2e) reactions in atomic hydrogen and helium

We compare the results of eikonal-Born series calculations which we have performed for the (e, 2e) reaction in atomic hydrogen with recent absolute measurements of triple differential cross sections for that process, carried out in the asymmetric coplanar geometry. We find that second-order effects play a crucial role in understanding both the angular positions and the magnitudes of the binary and recoil peaks. The implications of our analysis for the case of (e, 2e) reactions in helium are also discussed.