Doubly inelastic collisions with relativistic heavy ions and target recoil momentum spectroscopy

We consider relativistic collisions of heavy hydrogenlike ions with hydrogen and helium atoms in which the ion-atom interaction causes both colliding particles to change their internal states. Concentrating on the study of the longitudinal momentum spectrum of the atomic recoil ions, we discuss the role of relativistic and higher order effects, predict a surprisingly strong influence of the projectile's electron on the momentum transfer, and show that the important information about the doubly inelastic collisions could be obtained in experiment merely by measuring the recoil momentum spectrum.     

Interpretation of intensities in electron-momentum and photoelectron spectroscopiesag

Relative intensities for the photoelectron reaction on atoms and molecules are not related to structure calculations in the same way as those for the noncoplanar symmetric (e, 2e) reaction. The photoelectron dipole matrix element is dependent on recoil momentum only through the unique relationship of recoil momentum to the photon energy and is much harder to calculate for chemically-interesting momenta. Relative intensities for binary (e, 2e) reactions are independent of total energy at high enough energies and strongly dependent on symmetry and recoil momentum, for which an intensity profile can be measured for values starting at zero. In comparing with structure calculations, binary (e, 2e) intensities for low recoil momentum may be compared directly with pole strengths in calculations of the one-electron Green's function. In the case of states within a single symmetry manifold the relative intensities will be independent of recoil momentum up to some maximum, usually at least a few atomic units.     

Hangup kicks: still larger recoils by partial spin-orbit alignment of black-hole binaries

We revisit the scenario of the gravitational radiation recoil acquired by the final remnant of a black-hole-binary merger by studying a set of configurations that have components of the spin both aligned with the orbital angular momentum and in the orbital plane. We perform a series of 42 new full numerical simulations for equal-mass and equal-spin-magnitude binaries. We extend previous recoil fitting formulas to include nonlinear terms in the spins and successfully include both the new and known results. The new predicted maximum velocity approaches 5000 km/s for spins partially aligned with the orbital angular momentum, which leads to an important increase of the probabilities of large recoils in generic astrophysical mergers. We find non-negligible probabilities for recoils of several thousand km/s from accretion-aligned binaries.     

Intense-field double ionization of helium: identifying the mechanism

We present quantum mechanical calculations of the electron and ion momentum distributions following double ionization of a one-dimensional helium atom by ultrashort laser pulses (780 nm) at various intensities. The two-electron momentum distributions exhibit a clear transition from nonsequential to sequential double ionization. We provide strong evidence that rescattering is responsible for nonsequential ionization by calculating the momentum spectrum of the He2+ recoil ions-which we find in excellent agreement with recent experiments-and by analyzing the electronic center-of-mass motion via Wigner transforms.     

Abrupt rise of the longitudinal recoil ion momentum distribution for ionizing collisions

We report on the experimental observation of an abrupt rise in the longitudinal momentum distribution of recoil ions created in proton helium collision. The details of this structure can be related to electrons traveling with the velocity of the projectile [electron capture to the continuum (ECC)]. The longitudinal as well as the transverse distribution of the recoil ions can be explained as a continuation of the momentum distribution from ions resulting from electron capture illustrating the smooth transition from the capture to bound states of the projectile to the ECC.     

Stimulated gamma emission in an active medium with hidden inversion

This paper reviews some features of the nuclear electromagnetic transitions accompanied by recoil from the momentum of absorbed or emitted photons. We have presented, based on rigorous quantum mechanical calculations, the cross sections for nuclear anti-Stokes and Rayleigh scattering with recoil. The impact of recoil is critical to the establishing the hidden inversion of nuclear state populations and amplification of stimulated gamma radiation.     

Photon recoil momentum in dispersive media

A systematic shift of the photon recoil momentum due to the index of refraction of a dilute gas of atoms has been observed. The recoil frequency was determined with a two-pulse light grating interferometer using near-resonant laser light. The results show that the recoil momentum of atoms caused by the absorption of a photon is n variant Planck's k, where n is the index of refraction of the gas and k is the vacuum wave vector of the photon. This systematic effect must be accounted for in high-precision atom interferometry with light gratings.     

Photon Recoil in Light Scattering by a Bose–Einstein Condensate of a Dilute Gas

Photon recoil upon light scattering by a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of a dilute atomic gas is analyzed theoretically accounting for a weak interatomic interaction. Our approach is based on the Gross–Pitaevskii equation for the condensate, which is coupled to the Maxwell equation for the field. The dispersion relations of recoil energy and momentum are calculated, and the effect of weak nonideality of the condensate on the photon recoil is ubraveled. A good agreement between the theory and experiment [7] on the measurement of the photon recoil momentum in a dispersive medium is demonstrated.     

Electromagnetic momenta and forces in dispersive dielectric media

When the effects of dispersion are included, neither the Abraham nor the Minkowski expression for electromagnetic momentum in a dielectric medium gives the correct recoil momentum for absorbers or emitters of radiation. The total momentum density associated with a field in a dielectric medium has three contributions: (i) the Abraham momentum density of the field, (ii) the momentum density associated with the Abraham force, and (iii) a momentum density arising from the dispersive part of the response of the medium to the field, the latter having a form evidently first derived by Nelson (1991) [8]. All three contributions are required for momentum conservation in the recoil of an absorber or emitter in a dielectric medium. We consider the momentum exchanged and the force on a polarizable particle (e.g., an atom or a small dielectric sphere) in a host dielectric when a pulse of light is incident upon it, including the dispersion of the dielectric medium as well as a dispersive component in the response of the particle to the field. The force can be greatly increased in slow-light dielectric media.     

Investigation of ion-atom collision dynamics through imaging techniques

The principle and technique details of recoil ion momentum imaging are discussed and summarized. The recoil ion momentum spectroscopy built at the Institute of Modern Physics (Lanzhou) is presented. The first results obtained at the setup are analyzed. For 30 keV He²⁺ on He collision, it is found that the capture of single electron occurs dominantly into the first excited states, and the related scattering angle results show that the ground state capture occurs at large impact parameters, while the capture into excited states occurs at small impact parameters. The results manifest the collision dynamics for the sub-femto-second process can be studied through the techniques uniquely. Finally, the future possibilities of applications of the recoil ion momentum spectroscopy in other fields are outlined. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10434100)     

激光辐照固体靶产生等离子体反冲研究

提出一种通过诊断等离子体反冲动量来计算激光加载产生冲击压强的方法. 当强激光辐照固体靶表面时, 所产生的高速喷射的等离子体对靶具有反冲作用, 通过诊断等离子体反冲动量的变化可以计算激光辐照固体靶产生的冲击压强变化. 本文利用辐射流体力学软件研究了这种诊断方法, 模拟采用的激光功率密度为5×10¹²-5×10¹³ W/cm², 激光脉宽选取纳秒量级. 模拟结果表明该方法是有效且可行的.     

Controlled generation of momentum states in a high-finesse ring cavity

A Bose-Einstein condensate in a high-finesse ring cavity scatters the photons of a pump beam into counterpropagating cavity modes, populating a bi-dimensional momentum lattice. A high-finesse ring cavity with a sub-recoil linewidth allows to control the quantized atomic motion, selecting particular discrete momentum states and generating atom-photon entanglement. The semiclassical and quantum model for the 2D collective atomic recoil lasing (CARL) are derived and the superradiant and good-cavity regimes discussed. For pump incidence perpendicular to the cavity axis, the momentum lattice is symmetrically populated. Conversely, for oblique pump incidence the motion along the two recoil directions is unbalanced and different momentum states can be populated on demand by tuning the pump frequency.     

Average Energy Loss Measured in Single and Double Electron Capture Collisions of He^2＋ on Ar at Low Velocities ＊

Employing the recoil ion momentum spectroscopy we investigate the collision between He^2＋ and argon atoms. By measuring the recoil longitudinal momentum the energy losses of projectile are deduced for capture reaction channels. It is found that in most cases for single- and double-electron capture, the inner electron in the target atom is removed, the recoil ion is in singly or multiply excited states （hollow ion is formed）, which indicates that electron correlation plays an important role in the process. The captured electrons prefer the ground states of the projectile. It is experimentally demonstrated that the average energy losses are directly related to charge transfer and electronic configuration     

Fraunhofer diffraction of atomic matter waves: electron transfer studies with a laser cooled target

We have constructed an apparatus combining the experimental techniques of cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy and a laser cooled target. We measure angle differential cross sections in Li(+)+Na-->Li+Na(+) electron transfer collisions in the keV energy regime with a momentum resolution of 0.12 a.u. yielding an order of magnitude better angular resolution than previous measurements. We resolve Fraunhofer-type diffraction patterns in the differential cross sections. Good agreement with predictions of the semiclassical impact parameter method is obtained.     

Momentum distributions in fragmentation reactions with relativistic heavy ions

The momentum distribution (or angular distribution) in inelastic heavy ion reactions is calculated by using a two-step model (“abrasion” and “ablation”). First, all nucleons in the volume element where projectile and target overlap spatially during the collision are sheared away. The remaining prefragment (the projectile minus the sheared off nucleons) has a recoil momentum proportional to the Fermi momentum. The prefragment is left in an excited state and emits nucleons, the recoil momentum given to the final fragment is proportional to the nuclear temperature. This two-step model reproduces the overall trend and the isotopic dependence for the widths of the experimental momentum distributions. Contrary to previous theoretical studies we find that surface and friction phenomena lead to an anisotropy: The momentum distributions in transverse direction are always broader than in the longitudinal direction by about 5 to 10%.     

Transverse momentum diffusion and broadening of the back-to-back di-hadron correlation function

We extend the Gyulassy–Levai–Vitev reaction operator approach to multiple elastic scattering of fast partons traversing dense nuclear matter to take into account the leading power corrections due to the medium recoil and to derive the change in the partons' longitudinal momentum. We employ a boost-invariant formalism to generalize previous treatments of the problem, which were specific to the target rest frame. We apply the transverse momentum diffusion results in a simple analytic model to evaluate the broadening of the back-to-back di-hadron correlation function in d+Au reactions.     

A study of gluon scattering and gluon fragmentation in highp T interactions at the ISR

Gluon scattering processes are studied in hadronic highp _T events using data obtained with the Split Field Magnet detector (SFM) at the CERN ISR. The experimental set-up allowed the scanning of a wide range of parton energies and scattering angles. It is shown that for positive pions as trigger particles, the parton composition of the recoil jet is correlated with the polar angle and transverse momentum of the triggering pion. Over the kinematical region studied, the recoil jet originates predominantly from scatered gluons, with an increasing prevalence of the gluon component towards forward triggering angles. The variation of the momentum structure of the recoil jet with the trigger angle indicates that the fragmentation function of gluons is softer than that of quarks.     

A possible Mössbauer effect in neutron capture

Direct radiative neutron capture onto a nucleus embedded in a lattice leads to recoil effects that are somewhat more complicated in principle than those present for conventional Mössbauer absorption, emission or resonant scattering processes. We have explored the theory for such recoil effects, and have found: (1) that under conditions in which the momentum of the incident neutron and emitted gamma are matched approximately, a Mössbauer pip that is broadened and shifted is predicted to occur; (2) that in the presence of highly nonthermal lattice excitation, possible anomalously large energy transfer with the lattice is predicted.     

Binary and recoil collisions in strong field double ionization of helium

We have investigated the correlated momentum distribution of both electrons from nonsequential double ionization of helium in a 800 nm, 4.5 x 10(14 W/cm2 laser field. Using very high resolution coincidence techniques, we find a so-far unobserved fingerlike structure in the correlated electron momentum distribution. The structure can be interpreted as a signature of the microscopic dynamics in the recollision process. We identify features corresponding to the binary and recoil lobe in field-free (e,2e) collisions. This interpretation is supported by analyzing ab initio solutions of a fully correlated three-dimensional helium model.     

Angular momentum coupling in heavy-ion transfer reactions

A general expansion of the distorted wave transition amplitude for heavy-ion transfer reactions into terms with definite recoil orbital angular momentum transfer is given and discussed. It is shown that recoil effects tend to be enhanced when the surface localization of the reaction is not favoured by kinematical conditions.