Atomic Physics With Heavy Ions

This book is devoted to one of the most active domains of atomic physic- atomic physics of heavy positive ions. During the last 30 years, this terrain has attracted enormous attention from both experimentalists and theoreti cians. On the one hand, this interest is stimulated by rapid progress in the development of laboratory ion sources, storage rings, ion traps and methods for ion cooling. In many laboratories, a considerable number of complex and accurate experiments have been initiated, challenging new frontiers. Highly charged ions are used for investigations related to fundamental research and to more applied fields such as controlled nuclear fusion driven by heavy ions and its diagnostics, ion-surface interaction, physics of hollow atoms, x-ray lasers, x-ray spectroscopy, spectrometry of ions in storage rings and ion traps, biology, and medical therapy. On the other hand, the new technologies have stimulated elaborate theo retical investigations, especially in developing QED theory, relativistic many body techniques, plasma-kinetic modeling based on the Coulomb interactions of highly charged ions with photons and various atomic particles - electrons, atoms, molecules and ions. The idea of assembling this book matured while the editors were writ ing another book, X-Ray Radiation of Highly Charged Ions by H. F. Beyer, H. -J. Kluge and V. P. Shevelko (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg 1997) covering a broad range of x-ray and other radiative phenomena central to atomic physics with heavy ions.

This book provides an overview of the recent experimental and theoretical results on interactions of heavy ions with gaseous, solid and plasma targets from the perspective of atomic physics. The topics discussed comprise stopping power, multiple-electron loss and capture processes, equilibrium and non-equilibrium charge-state fractions in penetration of fast ion beams through matter including relativistic domain. It also addresses mean charge-states and equilibrium target thickness in ion-beam penetrations, isotope effects in low-energy electron capture, lifetimes of heavy ion beams, semi-empirical formulae for effective cross sections. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in atomic, plasma and accelerator physics.

Electron EM reviews the theoretical and experimental work of the last 30 years on continuous electron emission in energetic ion-atom collisions. High incident energies for which the projectile is faster than the mean orbital velocity of the active electron are considered. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of ionization mechanisms. They are interpreted in terms of Coulomb centers associated with the projectile and target nuclear fields which strongly interact with the outgoing electron. General properties of the two-center electron emission are analyzed. Particular attention is given to screening effects. A brief overview of multiple ionization processes is also presented. The survey concludes with a complete compilation of experimental studies of ionization cross sections.

Emphasizing a physical understanding with many illustrations, Introduction to the Physics of Highly Charged Ions covers the major areas of x-ray radiation and elementary atomic processes occurring with highly charged ions in hot laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Topics include light and ion sources, spectroscopy, atomic structure, magnetic and QED effects, and a thorough look at atomic collisions, from elementary processes in plasmas to ion-surface interaction and hollow atoms. Avoiding unnecessary mathematical details, this book is accessible to a broad range of readers, including graduate students and researchers.

Intended for advanced students of physics, chemistry and related disciplines, this text treats the quantum theory of atoms and ions within the framework of self-consistent fields. Data needed for the analysis of collisions and other atomic processes are also included.

It is arguable that most of chemistry and a large portion of atomic physics is concemed with the behaviour of the 92 naturally occurring elements in each of 3 charge states (+1, 0, -1); 276 distinct species. The world of multiply and highly charged ions provides a further 4186 species for us to study. Over 15 times as many! It is the nature of human beings to explore the unknown. This nature is par ticularly strong in physicists although this may not be readily apparent because theses explorations are undertaken in somewhat abstract 'spaces'. It is, then, no surprise that we have begun to explore the realm of multiply and highly charged ions. Over the past few decades, a consistent1y high quality body of work has emerged as the fruits of this exploration. This intemationally based subject, pursued in universities and research laboratories worldwide, has ex panded beyond its roots in atomic physics. We now see it embracing elements of surface science, nuclear physics and plasma physics as well as drawing on a wide range of technologies. This speciality offers new tests of some of our most fundamental ideas in physics and simultaneously new medical cures, new ways of fabricating electronic gadgets, a major hope for clean sustainable energy and explanations for astrophysical phenomena. It is both a deeply fundamental and a widely applicable area of investigation.