Atomic scattering in the diffraction limit: electron transfer in keV Li+-Na(3s, 3p) collisions

Mike van der Poel, C.V. Nielsen, M. Rybaltover, S.E. Nielsen, M. Machholm, N. Andersen

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    We measure angle differential cross sections (DCS) in Li+ + Na --> Li + Na+ electron transfer collisions in the 2.7-24 keV energy range. We do this with a newly constructed apparatus which combines the experimental technique of cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy with a laser-cooled target. This setup yields a momentum resolution of 0.12 an, an order of magnitude better angular resolution than previous measurements on this system. This enables us to clearly resolve Fraunhofer-type diffraction patterns in the angle DCS. In particular, the angular width of the ring structure is given by the ratio of the de Broglie wavelength lambda(dB) = 150 fm at a velocity v = 0.20 au and the effective atomic diameter for electron capture 2R = 20 au. Parallel AO and MO semiclassical coupled-channel calculations of the Na(3s, 3p) --> Li(2s, 2p) state-to-state collision amplitudes have been performed, and quantum scattering amplitudes are derived by the eikonal method. The resulting angle-differential electron transfer cross sections and their diffraction patterns agree with the experimental level-to-level results over most scattering angles in the energy range.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalJournal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
    Volume35
    Issue number21
    Pages (from-to)4491-4505
    ISSN0953-4075
    Publication statusPublished - 2002

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