Cross sections of electron loss and capture for beams of O⁺ in water vapor from the energy range of 0,2 to 1,2 MeV

The study of the interactions between atoms and molecules is important for the knowledge of the cross sections of the processes that contribute to the deposition of energy by charged particle beams used in radiotherapy planning and transport particle simulation codes. Heavy ions, such as oxygen, induce many cellular and molecular damages in human cells.as a result of interaction between the projectile and atoms and molecules. The use of proton and carbon as the projectile interacting with water molecules is well characterized, however there are few studies with oxygen ions. In this work we are interested in the study of electron loss (projectile ionization) and electron capture with charge state 1+. The Pelletron accelerator of 1.7 MeV from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro housed in the Atomic and Molecular collisions Laboratory (LACAM) has been used, which can accelerate atomic and molecular ions up to speeds of the order of hundredths of light speed, and consists of the source of negative ions, the Wien filter, the accelerator itself and the magnet load selector. The detection device used to evaluate the processes of interaction (capture and loss) between the beam of the O⁺ and the water molecule is a Microchannel Plate (MCP) at the position sensitive anode. The collisions of O⁺ beans are being studied in the range of 0.2 to 1.2 MeV with water vapor (Z = 10). Were obtained the respective absolute cross sections for electron loss and electron capture and compared with the cross sections of the molecule methane (CH4 → Z = 10), the isoelectronic water molecule. The experimental results show an agreement between the measurements with water and methane. Comparisons were made with results of theoretical models for electron loss using the 'Free Collision Model' and for capture the Bohr and Lindhard model. The theoretical results for electron loss show an agreement of experimental data with the model used. The model of Bohr and Lindhard describes well the experimental results for electron capture for low speeds, however overestimates for intermediate speeds υ = υ₀. (author)