State-selective electron transfer and ionization in collisions of highly charged ions with ground-state Na(3s) and laser-excited Na∗(3 p)

Abstract

Single electron transfer and ionization in collisions of N 5 + and Ne 8 + with ground state Na(3s) and laser excited Na∗(3p) are investigated both experimentally and theoretically at collision energies from 1 to 10 keV/amu, which includes the classical orbital velocity of the valence electron. State-selective partial cross sections are obtained using recoil-ion momentum spectroscopy in combination with a magneto-optically cooled Na atom target. A strong dependence of the cross sections on the collision energy is observed. In general, both the relative magnitude and the energy dependence are found to be in good agreement with classical-trajectory Monte Carlo calculations.