Mikhail I. Chibisov

Coulomb Rydberg electron L-mixing in collisions with atomic ions

The cross sections of the Rydberg electron L-mixing in a hydrogen atom and a hydrogen-like ion are calculated for slow collisions with atomic ions H*(n, L) + A+ = H*(n, L′) + A+ without variation of the principal quantum number n. The probability of the L-mixing L → L′ is associated with the quantum interference of the wave functions of adiabatic states, i.e., with the mixing of the time phases of these functions exp(−i∫Ek (t)dt). The effective cross section of such L-mixing for the states with n = 28 are 4–5 orders of magnitude greater than the cross sections determined in previous investigations. The expansion coefficients of spherical Coulomb wave functions in terms of parabolic ones and vice versa, which are necessary for determining cross sections, are calculated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the spatial properties of these functions.

Electron capture in collisions between negative and positive ions

Collisions between negative and positive atomic ions are investigated. The ionic wave function is expressed in terms of the Coulomb Green’s function. Normalizing this function allows the system of two ions to be described completely. The exchange matrix elements turn out to be the sums of products of the Coulomb wave functions over degenerate states. These sums are expressed in terms of the quadratic form of the wave function for a state with zero angular quantum numbers, l=m=0. The nonadiabatic coupling of quasi-crossing terms with other terms of the system is analyzed; this effect significantly increases the cross section for single-electron capture.

Sums of products of Coulomb wave function over degenerate states

The sums of products of Coulomb wave function over degenerate states are expressed in terms of quadratic forms that depend on the wave function of only one state with zero orbital angular momentum l = m = 0. These sums are encountered in many fields in the physics of atoms and molecules, for example, in investigations of the perturbation of degenerate atomic energy levels of a small potential well, a delta-function potential. The sums were found in an investigation of the limit of the Coulomb Green’s function G(r, r′, E), where the energy parameter E approaches an atomic energy level: E → En, En = −Z2/2n2. The Green’s function found by L. Hostler and R. Pratt in 1963 was used. The result obtained is a consequence of the degeneracy of the Coulomb energy levels, which in turn is due to the four-dimensional symmetry of the Coulomb problem.

Perturbation of atomic energy levels by a metal surface

The energy level shifts of one-electron atomic particles H, He+, Li++, etc. which interact with a metal surface have been investigated. In the approximation of image charges, an operator describing perturbations of atomic levels has been obtained. By numerically solving the Schro dinger equation, we have calculated energy levels of H(1s), H*(n=2), and C5+(n) as functions of the distance between an atom and surface. Asymptotic behavior of atomic levels at large distances from the surface has been studied. The linear Stark effect for excited states, which was earlier mentioned by A. V. Chaplik, has been found and investigated in detail.

Perturbation of the excited states of the hydrogen atom and hydrogen-like ions by a neutral atom

Owing to the degeneracy of the energy levels, the wavefunction of the electron in the excited states of the hydrogen atom and hydrogen-like ions perturbed by a neutral atom B is significantly different from the wavefunction of the unperturbed state. The perturbed function has a wide high maximum in the region of atom B, which is explained by multiple collisions of the electron with atom B, because the classical trajectories in the Coulomb field are closed and the size of atom B is much smaller than the size of the excited-state orbit. The radiative lifetimes of the excited states are much larger than those of unperturbed states. The orbital angular momentum L of the excited electron is strongly changed in collisions with atom B owing to the quantum interference or mixing of the temporal phases of adiabatic wavefunctions. The cross sections for such a change in the orbital angular momentum are several orders of magnitude larger than the cross sections found in early investigations in the approximation of the single collision of the electron with atom B.

Detachment of electrons during the collision of two negative ions

The cross sections of the detachment of one and two electrons during the collision of two negative ions H− + H−, H− + Cs−, and Cs− + Cs− are calculated in a wide range of collision energies: from the energy threshold to approximately 100 keV. In adiabatically slow collisions, the detachment of electrons occurs as a result of one-or two-electron Auger decays whose rates are calculated in the approximation of asymptotically large separations between ions. For high collision energies, the cross sections of the electron detachment are calculated by the method of close coupling of states. The calculated cross sections are in good agreement with the results of experimental measurements made for the H− + H− collision.