A Critical Analysis of Target Ionization and Projectile Electron Loss in Neutral– and Ion–Atom Collisions

Abstract

Electron removal (target ionization and/or projectile electron loss) in neutral–atom collisions is theoretically studied for the impact of H0, He0 and He+ beams on noble gases (He, Ne and Ar). These reactions are investigated theoretically within the Continuum Distorted Wave-Eikonal Initial State model. New features have been included in the theoretical model: (i) a scaled projectile charge depending on its velocity and charge, (ii) a dynamic projectile-effective-charge depending on the momentum transfer, and (iii) a dynamic target-effective-charge depending on the kinematics of the emitted electron. The energy and angular spectra of emitted electrons from the target and from the projectile are calculated and compared with the available experimental data. Also, the influence of each one of the corrections on the resulting spectra will be studied.