First state selective electron capture measurements with trapped highly charged ions

The first state selective electron capture cross section measurements at eV energies are reported for collisions between C⁴⁺ ions and H₂ molecules. The cross sections are measured in a crossed beam experiment by means of Photon Emission Spectroscopy. The ion beams are decelerated in an octopole ion trap where the trap is used to guide the ion beam through the collision region. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with previous measurements at higher energies. The 3-state atomic orbital calculations of Gargaud and McCarroll generally agree with our measurements although there are some discrepancies at lower energies. However, the results for C⁴⁺ are still on a relative scale. To put our measurements on an absolute scale the N⁴⁺+ H system is investigated at keV energies. These results are in good agreement with the data of previous experiments. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A comparison between radiative and non-radiative deexcitation after electron capture by multiple charged ions

For 100 ke V Ne^z+ (z = 1?4) and 200 keV Ar^z+ (z = 1?8) colliding with noble gas atoms the fraction of electron capture processes followed by radiationless deexcitation is shown to increase with rise of z and of target atomic number.     

Electron capture by charged impurities in semiconductors under conditions of spatial diffusion

The capture of electrons by charged impurities in semiconductors due to spatial diffusion is investigated theoretically. In a semiconductor, an electron either can be captured by the field of a charged impurity if this electron loses energy by emitting phonons or can be ionized from the trapping state if it acquires energy by absorbing phonons. The electron trapping is governed by a change in the distribution function of electrons in both coordinate and momentum space. The trapping coefficient is calculated under the condition where it is determined by the diffusion redistribution of the electron density in the field of a charged impurity.     

On the energy dependence of the yield of doubly charged negative ions during the capture of free electrons by C60(CF3)12 trifluoromethylfullerene molecules

Peaks of C₆₀(CF₃) _n ^2? doubly charged negative ions (n = 6–12) have been observed in the mass spectra of the resonance electron capture by trifluoromethylfullerene C₆₀(CF₃)₁₂ molecules. It has been established that these ions are formed owing to the attachment of two free isoenergetic electrons. The autodetachment of an extra electron has been detected for the doubly charged molecular ions (n = 12). It has been established from the observation of the delayed fragmentation of the most abundant ions with n = 8 and 10 that the doubly charged negative ions, like their singly charged analogs, are metastable with respect to the separation of the CF₃ fragment(s). The yield of doubly charged negative ions has been obtained as a function of the electron energy. By comparing them with the analogous dependences for the singly charged ions, the specific features have been revealed which were associated with the presence of the repulsive Coulomb barrier and the regular effect of the doubled energy of two additional electrons on the energy dependence of the dissociative decay of the doubly charged negative ions. The absolute cross section for the formation of the C₆₀(CF₃) ₁₀ ^2? ions has been measured. At the energy of their yield maximum near the 5 eV, it is ～1 × 10^?19 cm².     

Primary ion state conservation in electron capture from Li(2s) by singly charged ions

Conservation of the initial electronic configuration of singly charged ions in state-selective single electron capture from Li(2s) has been investigated. For impact of O⁺, N⁺ and C⁺ (2–20 keV) it could be demonstrated within the experimental errors, that “core conservation” holds for population of the most probable final states.     

Positronium formation by electron capture from hydrogen-like ions

Two different impulse approximations are provided for the problem of fast positron collisions with hydrogen-like ions. One of the impulse approximations is formulated by making a consistent expansion of the scattering wave function in powers of the weak interaction to the strong. The other impulse approximation is formulated by making a consistent expansion of theT-matrix in powers of the weak interaction to the strong. In this impulse approximation, the opposite limits of the target nuclear charge tending to zero and to infinity are examined. Differential and angle-integrated cross sections are computed for ground-state positronium formation from hydrogen within the impulse approximations. The full peaking approximation is employed in the evaluation of theT-matrix. By 300 eV, the impulse approximations for the angle-integrated cross section are in close agreement with the strong potential Born and the exact second Born calculations.     

Radiative electron capture accompanying resonant nuclear scattering

A quantum mechanical theory for the radiative capture (REC) of a target electron by a heavy, swift projectile is formulated, allowing for resonant nuclear scattering through the use of distorted waves. Calculations are performed for the systems O¹⁶, Ne²⁰→He within the exact strong potential Born theory and the impulse approximation. Similar structures as in the case of Coulomb capture are found in the transition probability.     

Field evaporation of doubly charged ions from a polar liquid

The effect of charge on field evaporation of ions from polar liquids is considered. Using the electromembrane ion source, we performed mass-spectral analysis of field evaporation of ions from the solution of sodium sulfate in a water-glycerol mixture. The composition of doubly charged cluster ions in the field evaporation from glycerol is determined. The rates of the field evaporation of doubly charged ions and singly charged ions are compared. It is shown that the ion charge as well as its localization considerably influences the efficiency of field evaporation of ions from polar liquids.     

Peculiarities in the cross sections of electron capture by phosphorus ions

The effect of decreasing the cross sections of electron capture by phosphorus (P⁵⁺) ions penetrating through gaseous media has been revealed experimentally. This effect is a violation of the known uniform dependence between the electron-capture cross section and the ion charge. Such an anomaly was not observed in measurements performed with argon ions under the same conditions. A possible reason of decreasing the cross sections of electron capture by P⁵⁺ ions may be autoionization of excited P⁴⁺ ions. The latter are formed during electron capture into excited states by metastable particles of a beam of P⁵⁺ ions.     

Nuclear matrix elements for the resonant neutrinoless double electron capture

The rate of the neutrinoless double electron capture ( 0n\ensuremath 0\nu ECEC) decay with a resonance condition depends sensitively on the mass difference between the initial and final nuclei of decay. This is where the JYFLTRAP Penning-trap measurements at the JYFL become invaluable in estimation of the half-lives of these decays. In this work the resonant 0n\ensuremath 0\nu ECEC decay is discussed from the point of view of its theoretical aspects, in particular regarding the resonance condition and the involved nuclear matrix elements (NME). The associated decay amplitudes are derived and the calculations of the NMEs by the microscopic many-body approach of the multiple-commutator model are outlined. The resonant 0n\ensuremath 0\nu ECEC decays of ⁷⁴Ge\ensuremath {\rm ^{74}Ge} and ¹³⁶Ce\ensuremath {\rm ^{136}Ce} are discussed as applications of the theory framework.     

Effect of collective response on electron capture and excitation in collisions of highly charged ions with fullerenes

Projectile deexcitation Lyman x-ray emission following electron capture and K excitation has been studied in collisions of bare and Li-like sulphur ions (of energy 110 MeV) with fullerenes (C(60)/C(70)) and different gaseous targets. The intensity ratios of different Lyman x-ray lines in collisions with fullerenes are found to be substantially lower than those for the gas targets, both for capture and excitation. This has been explained in terms of a model based on "solidlike" effect, namely, wakefield induced stark mixing of the excited states populated via electron capture or K excitation: a collective phenomenon of plasmon excitation in the fullerenes under the influence of heavy, highly charged ions.     

Cross sections of electron capture by Boron ions in gaseous media

We study the cross sections σ_{i, i?1}, σ_{i, i?2}, and σ _{i, i?3} of capture of one, two, and three electrons by boron ions with charges i=1?5 and velocities V=(1.83?5.50)V₀ in gaseous media with atomic numbers Z_t varying from 1 to 54. The oscillatory form of the Z_t dependence of electron capture cross section by boron ions, which has been established for lighter ions, is confirmed.     

X-ray measurements of bremsstrahlung and electron capture by fast positive ions

Two broad spectral features which may be easily overlooked or misinterpreted in the discussion of X-ray spectra induced by fast atomic collisions are reported. Calculations based on relatively simple models are in good agreement with the data.     

Electron capture by slow multiply charged Ar and Ne ions from atomic hydrogen

At collision energies below 15 keV total charge transfer cross sections have been measured for multiply charged Ar^ζ+(2≦ζ≦6) and Ne^ζ+(2≦ζ≦4) ions colliding with atomic hydrogen. A Wood discharge was used to provide a hydrogen target with a sufficiently high degree of dissociation. Results are compared with measurements performed at higher energies and with theoretical calculations. For ζ=2 cross sections in atomic hydrogen are much smaller than in the molecular case, for ζ>2 the ratio of these cross sections varies between 0.7 and 1.6.     

K-line X-ray fluorescence from highly charged iron ions under dense astrophysical plasma conditions

In the present work, we report an investigation of plasma environment effects on the atomic parameters associated with the K-vacancy states in highly charged iron ions within the astrophysical context of accretion disks around black holes. More particularly, the sensitivity of K-line X-ray fluorescence parameters (wavelengths, radiative transition probabilities, and Auger rates) in Fe XVII–Fe XXV ions has been estimated for plasma conditions characterized by an electron temperature ranging from 10⁵ to 10⁷ K and an electron density ranging from 10¹⁸ to 10²² cm⁻³. In order to do this, relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock atomic structure calculations have been carried out by considering a time averaged Debye-Hückel potential for both the electron–nucleus and electron–electron interactions.     

Multiple ionization and fragmentation of negatively charged fullerene ions by electron impact

Cross sections for the electron-impact multiple ionization and fragmentation of negatively charged fullerene ions C(-)(n) ( n = 60, 70) to C(q+)(n-m) ( q = 1,2,3 and m = 0,2,4) have been measured for electron energies up to 1 keV. In the case of pure ionization all threshold energies are about 10 eV higher than the values expected. This shift, however, is not observed for the fragment ions. The experimental data indicate that there is no strong electron-electron interaction between the incident electron and the attached electron. A novel ionization mechanism is proposed which can be expected to be valid for all negatively charged molecular or cluster ions which are able to shield the attached electron from the incident electron.