Critical Test of Simulations of Charge-Exchange-Induced X-Ray Emission in the Solar System

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal. Letters to the Editor

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/716/2/L95· OSTI ID:983564

Ali, R. ^[1]; Neill, P. A. ^[2]; Beiersdorfer, P. ^[3]; Harris, C. L. ^[4]; Schultz, David Robert ^[5]; Stancil, Phillip C. ^[6]

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1. University of Jordan
2. University of Nevada, Reno
3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
4. Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, FL
5. ORNL
6. University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Experimental and theoretical state-selective X-ray spectra resulting from single-electron capture in charge exchange (CX) collisions of Ne{sup 10+} with He, Ne, and Ar are presented for a collision velocity of 933 km s{sup -1} (4.54 keV nucleon{sup -1}), comparable to the highest velocity components of the fast solar wind. The experimental spectra were obtained by detecting scattered projectiles, target recoil ions, and X-rays in coincidence; with simultaneous determination of the recoil ion momenta. Use and interpretation of these spectra are free from the complications of non-coincident total X-ray measurements that do not differentiate between the primary reaction channels. The spectra offer the opportunity to critically test the ability of CX theories to describe such interactions at the quantum orbital angular momentum level of the final projectile ion. To this end, new classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations are compared here with the measurements. The current work demonstrates that modeling of cometary, heliospheric, planetary, and laboratory X-ray emission based on approximate state-selective CX models may result in erroneous conclusions and deductions of relevant parameters.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 983564
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal. Letters to the Editor, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal. Letters to the Editor Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 716; ISSN 0004-637X; ISSN 1538-4357
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGE EXCHANGE
ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM
PROJECTILES
SIMULATION
SOLAR SYSTEM
SOLAR WIND
SPECTRA
TARGETS
VELOCITY
X-RAY SPECTRA