Theoretical treatment of collisions of Rydberg atoms with neutral atoms and molecules. Semiquantal, impulse, and multistate-orbital theories
The semiquantal treatment of ionization in A-B(n) collisions, based on encounters between the Rydberg electron e and incident atom or molecule A, is derived from the full quantal impulse approximation. The useful transformation between the dynamical variables natural to these treatments is provided. Various levels of approximation are then deduced and necessary criteria for validity of application of the basic impulse expression to various types of A-B(n) processes: ionization, excitation, and quasielastic: in different energy regions are emphasized, including those associated with the additional assumption of ''on-the-energy-shell'' (e-A) encounters. It is pointed out for cases involving quasielastic collisions at thermal energies that models based on (e-A) encounters alone may not provide either a full or proper description of the underlying mechanism. A new treatment of (in) elastic transitions via (A-B/sup +/) encounters at thermal energies and beyond is introduced and formulated. Preliminary assessment indicates that the proposed new mechanism is significant and could well be dominant in quasielastic A-B(n) processes.
- Research Organization:
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332
- OSTI ID:
- 7053904
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Rev., A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., A; (United States) Vol. 22:6; ISSN PLRAA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ENERGY DEPENDENCE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
IMPULSE APPROXIMATION
INELASTIC SCATTERING
IONIZATION
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
SCATTERING