Evidence for Radiative Electron Capture by Fast, Highly Stripped Heavy Ions

Abstract

The first observations of unusually energetic x rays from fast heavy-ion collisions in which the projectile ion captures a free or weakly bound target electron are reported. Energy calculations based on this model of radiative electron capture are in reasonably good agreement with the observed x-ray data. The phenomenon has been observed for 10- to 140-MeV sulfur, chlorine, and bromine ions incident on various targets from boron to uranium.