High Energy Ion Atom Collisions

High-energy ion-atom collisions are subject of intense investigation in present-day atomic physics. They give fundamental information on the collision mechanism of ions and atoms, and on their highly excited states. This book includes invited survey talks, and invited contributions, all carefully refereed. The topics covered are electron capture and loss (including ionization), double electron and resonance processes, electron correlation and post-collision interaction effects, collisions of antiparticles with atoms, and so forth.

These proceedings give fundamental information on the collision mechanisms of ions and atoms at relatively high energies and on their highly excited atomic states. The information derived from such studies can often be applied in other fields such as material analysis, dosimetry, the study of the upper atmosphere and controlled fusion. Phenomena involving the classical ion-atom collision fields, impact parameter dependences, quasimolecular and electron correlation effects, coherence phenomena, the electron and photon spectroscopy of highly charged projectile and recoil ions, the loss and capture of electrons, molecular and solid state effects, and different aspects of instrumentation are all discussed in this volume.

One of the Top Selling Physics Books according to YBP Library Services Suitable for graduate students, experienced researchers, and experts, this book provides a state-of-the-art review of the non-relativistic theory of high-energy ion-atom collisions. Special attention is paid to four-body interactive dynamics through the most important theoretical methods available to date by critically analyzing their foundation and practical usefulness relative to virtually all the relevant experimental data. Fast ion-atom collisions are of paramount importance in many high-priority branches of science and technology, including accelerator-based physics, the search for new sources of energy, controlled thermonuclear fusion, plasma research, the earth’s environment, space research, particle transport physics, therapy of cancer patients by heavy ions, and more. These interdisciplinary fields are in need of knowledge about many cross sections and collisional rates for the analyzed fast ion-atom collisions, such as single ionization, excitation, charge exchange, and various combinations thereof. These include two-electron transitions, such as double ionization, excitation, or capture, as well as simultaneous electron transfer and ionization or excitation and the like—all of which are analyzed in depth in this book. Quantum Theory of High-Energy Ion-Atom Collisions focuses on multifaceted mechanisms of collisional phenomena with heavy ions and atoms at non-relativistic high energies.

Electron EM reviews the theoretical and experimental work of the last 30 years on continuous electron emission in energetic ion-atom collisions. High incident energies for which the projectile is faster than the mean orbital velocity of the active electron are considered. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of ionization mechanisms. They are interpreted in terms of Coulomb centers associated with the projectile and target nuclear fields which strongly interact with the outgoing electron. General properties of the two-center electron emission are analyzed. Particular attention is given to screening effects. A brief overview of multiple ionization processes is also presented. The survey concludes with a complete compilation of experimental studies of ionization cross sections.