Electron capture and ionization for ion - Rydberg atom collisions in a magnetic field

Abstract

Within the classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) model, we calculate electron transfer and ionization cross sections for singly charged ions colliding with Rydberg atoms in the presence of a laboratory-strength magnetic field of 4 tesla. A new method for generating a stationary microcanonical ensemble for a quasi-integrable initial-state Hamiltonian is presented. The calculated cross sections show signatures of electron capture and ionization mechanisms for the field-free case, e.g. multiple swaps and saddle-point electrons; their structure as well as their magnitude, however, are strongly modified by the presence of the magnetic field.