Inter-electronic interaction effects on the polarization of recombination photons

TL;DR

This paper theoretically examines how inter-electronic interactions influence the polarization of photons emitted during electron recombination with heavy ions, using two approaches to analyze relativistic collision data.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of electron correlation effects on photon polarization during recombination, employing both screening-potential and perturbation theory methods.

Findings

Two-electron effects significantly alter photon polarization.

Relativistic collision calculations show observable polarization changes.

Results are relevant for current polarization detection technologies.

Abstract

A theoretical investigation of the radiative capture of an electron into a bound state of heavy, hydrogen-like ion is presented. Special attention is paid to the question of how the linear polarization of the emitted radiation is affected by the inter-electronic interaction effects. An analysis of these effects is performed within both, the screening-potential approximation and the perturbation theory that treats rigorously the electron correlations to the first order in the parameter 1/Z. By making use of these two approaches, detailed calculations are performed for relativistic collisions of hydrogen-like europium Eu^{62+}, bismuth Bi^{82+} and uranium U^{91+} ions with free electron and low-Z atomic targets. Results of the calculations indicate that the two-electron effects may significantly influence the polarization properties of the recombination x-rays; the effect which can be observed by the present-day polarization detectors.