Abstract The analytical structure, absolute values and angular anisotropy of the triple differential cross section of elastic photon–photon scattering in the field of a multicharged neon-like atomic ion are theoretically predicted.
Two-photon processes are atomic processes in which an atom interacts simultaneously with two photons. Such processes describe a wide range of phenomena, such as two-photon decay \nand elastic or inelastic scattering of photons. In recent years two-photon processes involving highly charged heavy ions have become an active area of research. Such studies do not only consider the total transition or scattering rates but also their angular and polarization dependence. To support such examinations in this thesis I present a theoretical framework to describe these properties in all two-photon processes with bound initial and final states \nand involving heavy H-like or He-like ions. I demonstrate how this framework can be used in some detailed studies of different two-photon processes. Specifically a detailed analysis of two-photon decay of H-like and He-like ions in strong external electromagnetic fields shows the importance of considering the effect of such fields for the physics of such systems. Furthermore I studied the elastic Rayleigh as well as inelastic Raman scattering by heavy H-like ions. I found a number of previously unobserved phenomena in the angular and polarization dependence of the scattering cross-sections that do not only allow to study interesting details of the electronic structure of the ion but might also be useful for the measurement of weak physical effects in such systems.
Absolute velocity-resolved total integral cross sections have been measured for collisions of helium singlet (2 1 S 0 ) and triplet (2 3 S 1 2) metastable (He*) atoms with ground-state helium, neon, and argon atoms in the thermal velocity range of 1.0-3.5*10 5 cm s -1 . Additional measurements on the He*-Ne system with a large input aperture at the detector to suppress the sensitivity of the apparatus to elastic scattering failed to show the previously predicted (Arathoon) sharply rising velocity structure in the inelastic excitation transfer cross sections.
Elastic cross-sections for electron scattering on neon from 0 energy up to 16 eV are analyzed by an analytical approach to the modified effective range theory (MERT). It is shown that energy and angular variations of elastic differential, integral and momentum transfer cross-sections can be accurately parameterized by six MERT coefficients up to the energy threshold for the first Feshbach resonance. MERT parameters are determined empirically by numerical comparison with large collection of available experimental data of elastic total (integral) cross-sections. The present analysis is validated against numerous electron beams and swarm experiments. The comparison of derived MERT parameters with those found for other noble gases, helium, argon and krypton, is done. The derived scattering length (for the s-partial wave) in neon, 0.227 a 0, agrees well with recent theories; it is small but, differently from Ar and Kr, still positive. Analogue parameters for the p-wave and the d-wave are negative and positive respectively for all the four gases compared.