Interatomic Coulombic electron capture
- Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universitaet Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
In a previous publication [K. Gokhberg and L. S. Cederbaum, J. Phys. B 42, 231001 (2009)] we presented the interatomic Coulombic electron capture process--an efficient electron capture mechanism by atoms and ions in the presence of an environment. In the present work we derive and discuss the mechanism in detail. We demonstrate thereby that this mechanism belongs to a family of interatomic electron capture processes driven by electron correlation. In these processes the excess energy released in the capture event is transferred to the environment and used to ionize (or to excite) it. This family includes the processes where the capture is into the lowest or into an excited unoccupied orbital of an atom or ion and proceeds in step with the ionization (or excitation) of the environment, as well as the process where an intermediate autoionizing excited resonance state is formed in the capturing center which subsequently deexcites to a stable state transferring its excess energy to the environment. Detailed derivation of the asymptotic cross sections of these processes is presented. The derived expressions make clear that the environment assisted capture processes can be important for many systems. Illustrative examples are presented for a number of model systems for which the data needed to construct the various capture cross sections are available in the literature.
- OSTI ID:
- 21528651
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 82, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.82.052707; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Bombardment induced electronic processes at insulator surfaces: The role of electron-capture collisions
Interatomic Coulombic decay in a He dimer: Ab initio potential-energy curves and decay widths
Related Subjects
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
ATOMS
COULOMB FIELD
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRON CAPTURE
ELECTRON CORRELATION
EXCITATION
IONIZATION
IONS
RESONANCE
CAPTURE
CHARGED PARTICLES
CORRELATIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS