Multiple electron capture in close ion-atom collisions

Collisions in which a fast highly charged ion passes within the orbit of K electron of a target gas atom are selected by emission of a K x-ray from the projectile or target. Measurement of the projectile charge state after the collision, in coincidence with the K x-ray, allows measurement of the charge-transfer probability during these close collisions. When the projectile velocity is approximately the same as that of target electrons, a large number of electrons can be transferred to the projectile in a single collision. The electron-capture probability is found to be a linear function of the number of vacancies in the projectile L shell for 47-MeV calcium ions in an Ar target. 18 refs., 9 figs