Abstract:
The dynamics of mechanisms associated with the ionization of inner-shell electrons in relativistic collisions involving heavy and highly-charged ions is investigated within a nonperturbative approach formulated explicitly in the time domain. The theoretical treatment is based on the exact numerical solution of the time dependent Dirac equation for two Coulomb centers on a lattice in momentum space. We present results for ionization in encounters between 100 MeV/u Au79+ projectile ions impinging on a hydrogen-like uranium target. By directly visualizing the collision dynamics we identify a new ionization mechanism in which electrons are emitted from the internuclear region preferentially in the transverse direction with respect to the projectile trajectory. A striking characteristic of this ionization mechanism is that the velocity of the electron is higher than the projectile velocity.
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Received 26 June 2001 and Received in final form 27 November 2001
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Ionescu, D., Belkacem, A. Dynamics of ionization mechanisms in relativistic collisions involving heavy and highly-charged ions. Eur. Phys. J. D 18, 301–307 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e20020034
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e20020034