Coincident charge state production in F⁶⁺+Ne collisions

Abstract

Total cross sections are presented for the production of various stages of multiple ionization of the target in coincidence with the final projectile charge state for collisions of F6+ with Ne at 10 and 15 MeV. In particular, the current measurements are compared with the results of a classical trajectory Monte Carlo method in which electrons are included explicitly on both target and projectile (nCTMC) and with those based on the conventional independent electron model (IEM). It is shown by the good agreement with experiment that the nCTMC model simultaneously represents well the ionization, charge transfer and excitation channels for both target and projectile. Further, it is demonstrated that the IEM is in clear disagreement with the present experiment and is inadequate to predict the outcome of such multi-electronic transition processes. However, the IEM is shown to provide a reasonable estimate of the free electron production, that is, the cross section summed over charge states weighted by the number of electrons liberated. The IEM is also used to illustrate a process in cusp electron production where electrons are interchanged between the target and projectile.