Quantum evolution of atomic states during transmission through solids

M. S. GRAVIELLE; D. G. ARBÓ; J. E. MIRAGLIA

NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH B - BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2000 vol. 164 p. 495 - 503

0168-583X

A quantum description of the evolution of atomic states of fast projectiles traveling through matter is presented. Our approach is based on the solution of a quantum Langevin equation, i.e., a time-dependent Schrödinger equation which describes electronic excitations of atoms or ions under the influence of the dynamically screened deterministic potential of the projectile and a stochastic force simulating the dissipative interaction with the solid. We present applications to the stripping of relativistic H- and the population dynamics of electronic substates of 13.6 MeV/u Ar17+ ions by transmission through carbon foils. We analyze the correspondence between classical and quantum transport simulations and we show that the stochastic nature of the interaction destroys most quantum effects.