Spectroscopic study of x-ray emission of highly charged xenon, bismuth and uranium ions interacting with surfaces

We have studied x-ray emission spectra arising from highly charged heavy Xeq+ (q=44-48), Biq+ (q=52-70) and Uq+ (q=61-73) ions interacting with Cu, Au and Be surfaces, respectively. The ions, with charge states q and energies of q x 7 keV, were extracted from an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) and directed towards a surface target. Characteristic line structures were observed as a function of the charge state q. To analyze such complex spectra many body perturbation theory in conjunction with screening methods has been used in order to predict radiative and Auger transition energies, transition probabilities and branching ratios. A detailed line assignment and comparison between experimental and theoretical results is presented for different number of electrons and holes distributed over up to 27 subshells taking relativistic and quantum electrodynamic contributions into account. The theoretical modeling of such exotic spectra attributed to the filling of specific vacancies can be demonstrated on PC-AT 386 or 486 computers in the atomic collision laboratory