Energy-loss scaling in Li++D2 collisions

Li++D2 collisions are investigated in an energy range from 0.600 to 3.0 keV and for tau (the reduced scattering angle equal to Eθ) values out to 2.5 keV deg. The electronically elastic channel is found to be dominant and is studied in detail as a continued test of a scaling law which predicts that a reduced energy loss f should depend only on tau. Earlier results that scaled were particularly useful since they could test the validity of a calculated potential-energy surface. Although we clearly find the scaling to break down at small scattering angles, a related theoretical study shows that the calculated surface may still be tested by the experimentally determined f(tau). Electronically inelastic processes resulting from singly as well as doubly excited states of the D2 are also found. The two inelastic processes occur with comparable probabilities which rise to about 0.2 at the largest tau values