Electron recombination with multicharged ions via chaotic many-electron states

We show that a dense spectrum of chaotic multiply-excited eigenstates can play a major role in collision processes involving many-electron multicharged ions. A statistical theory based on chaotic properties of the eigenstates enables one to obtain relevant energy-averaged cross sections in terms of sums over single-electron orbitals. Our calculation of the low-energy electron recombination of Au$^{25+}$ shows that the resonant process is 200 times more intense than direct radiative recombination, which explains the recent experimental results of Hoffknecht {\em et al.} [J. Phys. B {\bf 31}, 2415 (1998)].Comment: 9 pages, including 1 figure, REVTe

Radiative recombination of bare Bi83+: Experiment versus theory

Electron-ion recombination of completely stripped Bi83+ was investigated at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) of the GSI in Darmstadt. It was the first experiment of this kind with a bare ion heavier than argon. Absolute recombination rate coefficients have been measured for relative energies between ions and electrons from 0 up to about 125 eV. In the energy range from 15 meV to 125 eV a very good agreement is found between the experimental result and theory for radiative recombination (RR). However, below 15 meV the experimental rate increasingly exceeds the RR calculation and at Erel = 0 eV it is a factor of 5.2 above the expected value. For further investigation of this enhancement phenomenon the electron density in the interaction region was set to 1.6E6/cm3, 3.2E6/cm3 and 4.7E6/cm3. This variation had no significant influence on the recombination rate. An additional variation of the magnetic guiding field of the electrons from 70 mT to 150 mT in steps of 1 mT resulted in periodic oscillations of the rate which are accompanied by considerable changes of the transverse electron temperature.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. A, see also http://www.gsi.de/ap/ and http://www.strz.uni-giessen.de/~k

Recombination Measurements at Low Energies with Au49+,50+,51+ at the TSR

Recombination of Au49+, Au50+, and Au51+ ions has been studied at the TSR. With Au50+ ions a storage lifetime of only 2 to 4 s was observed with the magnetically expanded electron beam of the cooler at a density of ne = 107 cm-3. This short storage time is a consequence of the highest recombination rate coefficient ever observed with an atomic ion (1.8·10-6 cm3 s-1 at zero relative energy Erel = 0 between electrons and ions). At about 30 meV a huge dielectronic recombination resonance is found with a record small width of only about 15 meV. Such resonances fortuitously occurring near Erel=0 are probably the main reason for the enhanced recombination rates observed with Au50+, with Pb53+ (in a recent experiment at LEAR) as well as with other complex ions. For Au49+ and Au51+ the recombination rates are smaller by an order of magnitude

Recombination in Electron Coolers

An introduction to electron}ion recombination processes is given and recent measurements are described as examples, focusing on low collision energies. Discussed in particular are "ne-structure-mediated dielectronic recombination of #uorine-like ions, the moderate recombination enhancement by factors of typically 1.5}4 found for most ion species at relative electron}ion energies below about 10 meV, and the much larger enhancement occurring for speci"c highly charged ions of complex electronic structure, apparently caused by low-energy dielectronic recombination resonances. Recent experiments revealing dielectronic resonances with very large natural width are also described. 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved