Measurement of Absolute Single and Double Electron Capture Cross Sections for O6+ Ion Collisions with CO2, CH4, H2, and N2

Abstract

Abstract The absolute electron capture cross sections for single and double charge exchanges (CEs) between the highly charged ion O6+ and CO2, CH4, H2, and N2, the dominant collision processes in the solar wind, have been measured in the energies from 7 keV · q (2.63 keV u−1) to 52 keV · q (19.5 keV u−1). These measurements were carried out in the new experimental instrument setup at Fudan University, and the errors of the cross sections for single and double CEs at the 1σ confidence level were about 11% and 16%, respectively. Limited agreement is achieved with single electron capture results calculated by the classical overbarrier model. These cross section data are useful for the simulation of ion–neutral processes in astrophysical environments and to improve the present theoretical model of fundamental atomic processes.