Double interatomic Coulombic electron capture induced by a single incident electron in two- and three-center atomic systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates a novel double interatomic Coulombic electron capture process where an incident electron induces a two-step electron transfer across atomic centers, causing significant electronic rearrangement in multi-center systems.

Contribution

It derives formulas for the cross section of double interatomic Coulombic electron capture and explores its significance in multi-center atomic systems.

Findings

Formulas for double interatomic Coulombic electron capture cross section

Relevance of the process in atomic systems with multiple centers

Implications for electronic configuration rearrangement

Abstract

In the process of interatomic Coulombic electron capture, an incident free electron is captured at an atomic center $A$ and the transition energy is transferred radiationlessly over a rather large distance to a neighboring atom $B$ of different species, upon which the latter is ionized. We consider two-step cascade processes where the electron emitted from atom $B$ is subsequently captured as well, either at center $A$ or yet another atomic center $C$, leading to emission of a second electron from one of the centers. We derive formulas for the cross section of this double interatomic Coulombic electron capture and discuss the relevance of this process, which leads to a substantial rearrangement of the electronic configuration, in various two- and three-center atomic systems.