Quantum interference in clothed-ion-atom binary peak structures

Abstract

An impulse approximation for ionizing collisions of clothed ions with atoms is used to explain the origin of an anomalous oscillation in the ejected electron spectrum in the region of the binary peak. In addition, measurements which evidence this feature for 1-MeV/u ${\mathrm{U}}^{21+}$ ions colliding with helium are presented. It is shown that this behavior arises from interference structures in the elastic differential cross section for the scattering of target electrons from the impinging ion and that it is associated with the well-known phenomenon of rainbow scattering.