A study of isotopical effects in atomic collisions

Abstract

Gas targets of He, Ne, and Ar have been bombarded with⁶Li⁺,⁷Li⁺,²⁰Ne⁺ and²²Ne⁺ ions with energies ranging from 20 to 70keV in the laboratory frame. Excitation functions have been measured. Photon yields using different isotope projectiles have been compared both at the same center of mass energy and at the same relative velocity.

It is found that the collision time is a more descriptive parameter than the energy available for excitation. Furthermore it is found that the multiplicity caused by the coupling of the electron spin to the orbital angular momentum plays a more important role than the multiplicity caused by the coupling of nuclear spin to the total angular momentum of the electronic system.