Target dependences for continuum capture processes in ion-atom collisions

By using bare and few-electron ions of higher charge on heavier targets, some fundamental aspects of continuum capture which had previously been obscured due to limitations imposed by high direct ionization backgrounds are examined. Beams of 1.6 to 3.9 MeV/u C6+, O8+, and Si14+ were passed through thin targets of helium, neon, and argon. The electrons ejected within a forward cone of half-angle about 1.80 were energy analyzed with data collected using standard multi-scaling techniques. The yields, defined by numerical integration over suitably scaled limits, show several interesting properties which are discussed, notably the velocity dependence. 5 references