Measurement of Absolute Single and Double Electron Capture Cross Sections for O6+ Ions Collision with CO2, CH4, H2 and N2

TL;DR

This study measures absolute electron capture cross sections for O6+ ions colliding with various molecules, providing valuable data for astrophysical models and testing theoretical predictions in ion-neutral interactions.

Contribution

It presents new experimental measurements of electron capture cross sections for O6+ ions with multiple molecules across a range of energies, with improved accuracy and setup.

Findings

Measured cross sections with 11-16% error at various energies.

Limited agreement with classical over-barrier model calculations.

Data useful for astrophysical simulations and theoretical model improvements.

Abstract

The absolute electron capture cross sections for single and double charge exchanges between the highly charged ions O6+ and CO2, CH4, H2, N2, the dominant collision processes in the solar wind, have been measured in the energy from 7 keV*q (2.63 keV/u) to 52 keV*q (19.5 keV/u). These measurements were carried out in the new experimental instrument set up at Fudan University, and the error of cross sections for single and double charge exchanges at the 1{\sigma} confidence level are about 11% and 16%, respectively. Limited agreement is achieved with single electron capture results calculated by the classical over-barrier model. These cross sections data are useful for simulation ion-neutral processes in astrophysical environments and to improve the present theoretical model of fundamental atomic processes.