Published September 30, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

Prominent Higher-Order Contributions to Electronic Recombination

  • 1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
  • 2. ExtreMe Matter Institute (EMMI), Planckstrasse 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

Description

Intershell higher-order (HO) electronic recombination is reported for highly charged Ar, Fe, and Kr ions, where simultaneous excitation of one K-shell electron and one or two additional L-shell electrons occurs upon resonant capture of a free electron. For the mid-Z region, HO resonance strengths grow unexpectedly strong with decreasing atomic number Z (∝Z-4), such that, for Ar ions the 2nd-order overwhelms the 1st-order resonant recombination considerably. The experimental findings are confirmed by multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations including hitherto neglected excitation pathways.

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Journal Volume
107
Journal Issue
14
Journal Page Range
p. 143201-143201.4
ISSN
0031-9007
CODEN
PRLTAO

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2011 American Institute of Physics