Polarization Induced in a Solid by the Passage of Fast Charged Particles

Abstract

A theoretical description is given of the polarization charge-density distribution induced in a solid by the passage of a fast charged particle. The stopping power of the solid (including the effects of close collisions) is well accounted for by the braking effect of the polarization charges. Calculations based on this model for the polarization give good agreement with the results of recent experiments on the dissociation of fast molecular ions in foils.