Orientation and interference effects in single ionization of H2 by fast ions

LAURENT, G.; FAINSTEIN, P.D.; GALASSI, M.E.; RIVAROLA, R.D.; ADOUI, L.; CASSIMI, A.

JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS

IOP PUBLISHING LTD

Año: 2002 vol. 35

0953-4075

The single ionization of H2 by fast ions is theoretically studied using a version of the continuum distorted wave eikonal initial state model which takes into account the two-centre geometry of the molecule. Five-fold differential cross sections as a function of the electron momenta in the final state and the orientation of the molecule are calculated for the impact of 13.7 MeV/u-C6+ ions. The angular distribution of emitted electrons shows distinctive structures which arise from the coherent emission from the two nuclei of the molecule which produces well defined interference patterns for all possible orientations of the molecule with respect to the incident beam. When the molecule is aligned in the same direction as the incident beam it is possible to obtain a closed formula which gives the position of the maxima and minima in the interference pattern.