Experimental Test of Higher-Order Electron-Capture Processes in Collisions of Fast Protons with Atomic Hydrogen

Abstract

We present measurements of the angular distribution of fast hydrogen atoms formed by electron capture of 2.8- and 5.0-MeV protons in atomic hydrogen. In the angular region of the Thomas peak (0.47 mrad) the experimental results obtained with this pure three-body collision system are in reasonable agreement with a strong-potential Born calculation and the impulse approximation, but not with other higher-order theories.