Inelastic collisions of relativistic electrons with atomic targets assisted by a laser field

We consider inelastic collisions between relativistic electrons and atomic targets assisted by a low-frequency laser field in the case when this field is still much weaker than the typical internal fields in the target. Concentrating on target transitions we show that they can be substantially affected by the presence of the laser field. This may occur either via strong modifications in the motion of the relativistic electrons caused by the electron-laser interaction or via the Compton effect when the incident electrons convert laser photon(s) into photons with frequencies equal to target transition frequencies.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Time-resolved X-ray microscopy of nanoparticle aggregates under oscillatory shear

Of all current detection techniques with nanometer resolution, only X-ray microscopy allows imaging nanoparticles in suspension. Can it also be used to investigate structural dynamics? When studying response to mechanical stimuli, the challenge lies in applying them with precision comparable to spatial resolution. In the first shear experiments performed in an X-ray microscope, we accomplished this by inserting a piezo actuator driven shear cell into the focal plane of a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM). Thus shear-induced reorganization of magnetite nanoparticle aggregates could be demonstrated in suspension. As X-ray microscopy proves suitable for studying structural change, new prospects open up in physics at small length scales.Comment: submitted to J. Synchrot. Radia

Differential cross sections for K-shell ionization by electron or positron impact

We have investigated the universal scaling behavior of differential cross sections for the single K-shell ionization by electron or positron impact. The study is performed within the framework of non-relativistic perturbation theory, taking into account the one-photon exchange diagrams. In the case of low-energy positron scattering, the doubly differential cross section exhibits prominent interference oscillations. The results obtained are valid for arbitrary atomic targets with moderate values of nuclear charge number Z.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Semiclassical description of the kinematically complete experiments

Based on the semiclassical, impact parameter method a theoretical model is constructed to calculate totally differential cross sections for single ionization of helium by impact with fast C$^{6+}$ ions. Good agreement with the experiment is achieved in the scattering plane, while in the perpendicular plane a similar structure to that observed experimentally is obtained. The contribution of different partial waves to the cross section is also investigated.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Magnetic-dipole transition probabilities in B-like and Be-like ions

The magnetic-dipole transition probabilities between the fine-structure levels (1s^2 2s^2 2p) ^2P_1/2 - ^2P_3/2 for B-like ions and (1s^2 2s 2p) ^3P_1 - ^3P_2 for Be-like ions are calculated. The configuration-interaction method in the Dirac-Fock-Sturm basis is employed for the evaluation of the interelectronic-interaction correction with negative-continuum spectrum being taken into account. The 1/Z interelectronic-interaction contribution is derived within a rigorous QED approach employing the two-time Green function method. The one-electron QED correction is evaluated within framework of the anomalous magnetic-moment approximation. A comparison with the theoretical results of other authors and with available experimental data is presented

Imaging Molecules from Within: Ultra-fast, {\AA}ngstr\"om Scale Structure Determination of Molecules via Photoelectron Holography using Free Electron Lasers

A new scheme based on (i) upcoming brilliant X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL) sources, (ii) novel energy and angular dispersive, large-area electron imagers and (iii) the well-known photoelectron holography is elaborated that provides time-dependent three-dimensional structure determination of small to medium sized molecules with {\AA}ngstr\"om spatial and femtosecond time resolution. Inducing molecular dynamics, wave-packet motion, dissociation, passage through conical intersections or isomerization by a pump pulse this motion is visualized by the X-ray FEL probe pulse launching keV photoelectrons within few femtoseconds from specific and well-defined sites, deep core levels of individual atoms, inside the molecule. On their way out the photoelectrons are diffracted generating a hologram on the detector that encodes the molecular structure at the instant of photoionization, thus providing 'femtosecond snapshot images of the molecule from within'. Detailed calculations in various approximations of increasing sophistication are presented and three-dimensional retrieval of the spatial structure of the molecule with {\AA}ngstr\"om spatial resolution is demonstrated. Due to the large photo-absorption cross sections the method extends X-ray diffraction based, time-dependent structure investigations envisioned at FELs to new classes of samples that are not accessible by any other method. Among them are dilute samples in the gas phase such as aligned, oriented or conformer selected molecules, ultra-cold ensembles and/or molecular or cluster objects containing mainly light atoms that do not scatter X-rays efficiently.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Momentum space tomographic imaging of photoelectrons

We apply tomography, a general method for reconstructing 3-D distributions from multiple projections, to reconstruct the momentum distribution of electrons produced via strong field photoionization. The projections are obtained by rotating the electron distribution via the polarization of the ionizing laser beam and recording a momentum spectrum at each angle with a 2-D velocity map imaging spectrometer. For linearly polarized light the tomographic reconstruction agrees with the distribution obtained using an Abel inversion. Electron tomography, which can be applied to any polarization, will simplify the technology of electron imaging. The method can be directly generalized to other charged particles.Comment: Accepted by J. Phys.

Reply to No evidence for individual blood-brain barrier phenylalanine transport to influence clinical outcome in typical phenylketonuria patients

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Fully Differential Cross Sections for the Single Ionization of Helium by Ion Impact

We present experimental and theoretical fully differential cross sections for the single ionization of He by heavy-ion impact for electrons emitted into the scattering plane. Data were obtained for 2 MeV amu-1 C6+ and 3.6 MeV amu-1 AuQ+ (Q = 24, 53) projectiles, corresponding to perturbations (projectile charge to velocity ratio) ranging from 0.7 to 4.4, a regime which is inaccessible for electron-impact ionization. We observe a decreasing recoil peak intensity (relative to the binary peak) and at the same time an increasing peak in the forward direction with increasing perturbations. Large discrepancies between the experimental data and theoretical predictions are found, which can at least be partly attributed to the use of hydrogenic wavefunction

Decay rate measurement of the first vibrationally excited state of MgH+^+ in a cryogenic Paul trap

We present a method to measure the decay rate of the first excited vibrational state of simple polar molecular ions being part of a Coulomb crystal in a cryogenic linear Paul trap. Specifically, we have monitored the decay of the $|\nu$=$1,J$=$1 \rangle_X$ towards the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$0 \rangle_X$ level in MgH$^+$ by saturated laser excitation of the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$2 \rangle_X$-$|\nu$=$1,J$=$1 \rangle_X$ transition followed by state selective resonance enhanced two-photon dissociation out of the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$2 \rangle_X$ level. The technique enables the determination of decay rates, and thus absorption strengths, with an accuracy at the few percent level.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure