Electron Capture - III: Capture into Excited States in Encounters between Hydrogen Atoms and Fast Protons

Abstract

The cross sections associated with the electron capture processes H+ + H(1s) → H(1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 2p, 3p, 4p, 3d, 4d and 4f) + H+ are calculated. They are used in the evaluation of fα and fβ, the fractions of the total number of captures which result in Hα and Hβ emission. It is found that fα and fβ are very small, being only about 0.050 and 0.015 respectively even at the most favourable impact energy (approximately 70 keV).