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New Journal of Physics

Ultra-cold ion–atom collisions: near resonant charge exchange

Enrico Bodo, P Zhang, A. Dalgarno

Published Mar 17, 2008• 45 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Accurate calculations of the near resonant charge exchange cross-sections in HD + , HT + and DT + at very low energies are presented. The charge exchange process between an ion and its parent atom is a near resonant process that becomes inelastic when two different isotopes are involved. We find that, at very low energies, the charge exchange cross-section follows Wigner's law for inelastic processes and becomes much larger than the cross-section for elastic collisions which tends to a finite limit. The efficiency of inelastic charge exchange increases as the mass difference between the two isotopes decreases.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/10/3/033024

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Accurate calculations of the near resonant charge exchange cross-sections in HD + , HT + and DT + at very low energies are presented. The charge exchange process between an ion and its parent atom is a near resonant process that becomes inelastic when two different isotopes are involved. We find that, at very low energies, the charge exchange cross-section follows Wigner's law for inelastic processes and becomes much larger than the cross-section for elastic collisions which tends to a finite limit. The efficiency of inelastic charge exchange increases as the mass difference between the two isotopes decreases.
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