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At least 91 records · Page 5

Ionization of multielectron atoms by fast charged particles.

Using plane waves to describe the incident and scattered particles, and screened hydrogenic and Coulomb functions to describe the atomic electrons before and after ejections, we have calculated the differential and total ionization cross sections of 11 atoms and one ion by electron impact, and ionization of helium by proton impact. The effective charges of the screened hydrogenic functions are fixed by the Hartree-Fock calculations. Calculations have been carried out for the atomic s, p, and d electrons. For low atomic numbers, we find reasonable agreement with the experimental data. For intermediate atomic numbers, we expect our results to overestimate the actual cross sections, since our choice of a unit charge for the Coulomb function of the ejected electrons will overestimate the atomic dipole potential strength, and in turn the high-energy cross sections. The advantage of the method presented here is that the ionization amplitude is given in analytic form. This may allow further analysis on this amplitude, and facilitates extension of the numerical integration for the cross section to high impact energies.

Omidvar, K.↗

Photodissociation continuums of N2 and O2.

Dissociation continuum cross sections for N2 and O2 have been determined from previously measured total absorption and ionization cross sections. Several dissociation continuums were found for each molecule. Some of these continuums were attributed to specific dissociation products in which the dissociation products are in excited states. The upper-atmosphere emission rates resulting from these photodissociative excitation processes have been calculated for the N I 10,400-A and O I 1356-A lines. The results indicate, particularly for the oxygen line, that these photodissociative processes may be important in the dayglow.

Cook, G. R.↗

Measurement of relative cross sections for simultaneous ionization and excitation of the helium 4 2s and 4 2p states

The relative cross sections for simultaneous ionization and excitation of helium by 200-eV electrons into the 4 2s and 4 2p states were measured via a fast delayed coincidence technique. Results show good agreement with the relative cross sections for single electron excitation of helium and hydrogen. An application of the results of the measurement to the development of ultraviolet intensity standard is suggested. This technique involves the use of known branching ratios, a visible light flux reference, and the measured relative cross sections.

Sutton, J. F.↗

Electron impact excitation of atomic oxygen - Revised cross sections

Revised cross-section values for the excitation of three O I resonance transitions at 1304, 1027, and 989 A, by electron impact on atomic oxygen are presented from threshold to 300 eV. These results are smaller than the excitation cross sections used in some airglow models by a factor of about 2.8. The revised values are in good agreement with recent quantum-scattering calculations. The downward revision is required by new laboratory studies in which the direct and dissociative cross sections for 1304 A excitation were normalized with small probable error to the O and O2 ionization cross sections. The results also reflect new advances in VUV optical calibration techniques. A number of outstanding airglow problems are simplified by these revisions.

Zipf, E. C.↗

An X-Ray Analysis Database of Photoionization Cross Sections Including Variable Ionization

Results of research efforts in the following areas are discussed: review of the major theoretical and experimental data of subshell photoionization cross sections and ionization edges of atomic ions to assess the accuracy of the data, and to compile the most reliable of these data in our own database; detailed atomic physics calculations to complement the database for all ions of 17 cosmically abundant elements; reconciling the data from various sources and our own calculations; and fitting cross sections with functional approximations and incorporating these functions into a compact computer code.Also, efforts included adapting an ionization equilibrium code, tabulating results, and incorporating them into the overall program and testing the code (both ionization equilibrium and opacity codes) with existing observational data. The background and scientific applications of this work are discussed. Atomic physics cross section models and calculations are described. Calculation results are compared with available experimental data and other theoretical data. The functional approximations used for fitting cross sections are outlined and applications of the database are discussed.

Wang, Ping↗

Ion formation by electron impact

Dissociative attachment and polar dissociation cross sections were measured for the following molecules: HC1, NO, N2O, C6H6, SiH4, Si2H6, and LiH. Direct ionization and dissociative ionization cross sections were determined for the following molecules: H2, D2, N2, O2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2O, Co, CO2, CH4, SiH4, Sih4, Si2H6, N2*, and NH3. An experimental apparatus for a pulsed extraction technique was fabricated and successfully tested.

Srivastava, Santosh K.↗

A measurement of the relative cross sections for simultaneous ionization and excitation of the degenerate He(plus) n equals 4 levels

The relative cross sections for simultaneous ionization and excitation of helium by 200 eV electrons into the 4S, 4P, 4D and 4F levels have been measured via a fast delayed coincidence technique. Results are in poor agreement with Born approximation calculations for simultaneous ionization and excitation of helium, the 4P component being larger than expected.

Sutton, J. F.↗

Electron-Impact Ionization and Dissociative Ionization of Biomolecules

It is well recognized that secondary electrons play an important role in radiation damage to humans. Particularly important is the damage of DNA by electrons, potentially leading to mutagenesis. Molecular-level study of electron interaction with DNA provides information on the damage pathways and dominant mechanisms. Our study of electron-impact ionization of DNA fragments uses the improved binary-encounter dipole model and covers DNA bases, sugar phosphate backbone, and nucleotides. An additivity principle is observed. For example, the sum of the ionization cross sections of the separate deoxyribose and phosphate fragments is in close agreement with the C3(sup prime)- and C5 (sup prime)-deoxyribose-phospate cross sections, differing by less than 5%. Investigation of tandem double lesion initiated by electron-impact dissociative ionization of guanine, followed by proton reaction with the cytosine in the Watson-Crick pair, is currently being studied to see if tandem double lesion can be initiated by electron impact. Up to now only OH-induced tandem double lesion has been studied.

Huo, Winifred M.↗

On the direct and dissociative excitation of the O(3s 3S0) state by electron impact on atomic and molecular oxygen

The ratio of the cross sections for the direct and dissociative excitation of the OI(3s 3S0-2p 3P; 1304 A wavelength) transition, sigma A/sigma D, are accurately determined, and the sigma A/sigma D ratio is directly normalized to the ratio of the O(+) and O2(+) ionization cross sections using a high-density diffuse gas source, an electrostatically focused electron gun, a vacuum-ultraviolet monochromater, and a quadrupole mass spectrometer for simultaneous optical and composition measurements. Using revised sigma A(1304 A) values calculated with new calibration standards, the shape of the cross section for the excitation of the O(3s 3S0) state agrees well with previous results, though the absolute magnitude of sigma A(1304 A) is smaller than the results of Stone and Zipf (1974) by a factor of 2.8. The revised cross sections agree well with recent quantum calculations when cascade excitation of the 3s 3S0 state is taken into account.

Zipf, E. C.↗

Ionisation of atomic hydrogen by positron impact

With the crossed beam apparatus the relative impact-ionization cross section of atomic hydrogen by positron impact was measured. A layout of the scattering region is given. The first measurements on the ionization of atomic hydrogen by positron impact are also given.

Spicher, Gottfried↗

Total Born approximation cross sections for single electron loss by atoms and ions colliding with atoms

The first born approximation (FBA) is applied to the calculation of single electron loss cross sections for various ions and atoms containing from one to seven electrons. Screened hydrogenic wave functions were used for the states of the electron ejected from the projectile, and Hartree-Fock elastic and incoherent scattering factors were used to describe the target. The effect of the target atom on the scaling of projectile ionization cross sections with respect to the projectile nuclear charge was explored in the case of hydrogen-like ions. Scaling of the cross section with respect to the target nuclear charge for electron loss by Fe (+25) in collision with neutral atoms ranging from H to Fe is also examined. These results were compared to those of the binary encounter approximation and to the FBA for the case of ionization by completely stripped target ions.

Rule, D. W.↗

Photoexcitation and ionization in carbon dioxide - Theoretical studies in the separated-channel static-exchange approximation

Vertical-electronic static-exchange photoexcitation and ionization cross sections are reported which provide a first approximation to the complete dipole spectrum of CO2. Separated-channel static-exchange calculations of vertical-electronic transition energies and oscillator strengths, and Stieltjes-Chebyshev moment methods were used in the development. Detailed comparisons were made of the static-exchange excitation and ionization spectra with photoabsorption, electron-impact excitation, and quantum-defect estimates of discrete transition energies and intensities, and with partial-channel photoionization cross sections obtained from fluorescence measurements and from tunable-source and (e, 2e) photoelectron spectroscopy. Results show that the separate-channel static-exchange approximation is generally satisfactory in CO2.

Padial, N.↗

SR90, strontium shaped-charge critical ionization velocity experiment

In May 1986 an experiment was performed to test Alfven's critical ionization velocity (CIV) effect in free space, using the first high explosive shaped charge with a conical liner of strontium metal. The release, made at 540 km altitude at dawn twilight, was aimed at 48 deg to B. The background electron density was 1.5 x 10(exp 4) cu cm. A faint field-aligned Sr(+) ion streak with tip velocity of 2.6 km/s was observed from two optical sites. Using two calibration methods, it was calculated that between 4.5 x 10(exp 20) and 2 x 10(exp 21) ions were visible. An ionization time constant of 1920 s was calculated for Sr from the solar UV spectrum and ionization cross section which combined with a computer simulation of the injection predicts 1.7 x 10(exp 21) solar UV ions in the low-velocity part of the ion streak. Thus all the observed ions are from solar UV ionization of the slow (less than critical) velocity portion of the neutral jet. The observed neutral Sr velocity distribution and computer simulations indicate that 2 x 10(exp 21) solar UV ions would have been created from the fast (greater than critical) part of the jet. They would have been more diffuse, and were not observed. Using this fact it was estimated that any CIV ions created were less than 10(exp 21). It was concluded that future Sr CIV free space experiments should be conducted below the UV shadow height and in much larger background plasma density.

Wescott, Eugene M.↗

RITRACKS: A Software for Simulation of Stochastic Radiation Track Structure, Micro and Nanodosimetry, Radiation Chemistry and DNA Damage for Heavy Ions

The code RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) has been developed over the last few years at the NASA Johnson Space Center to simulate the effects of ionizing radiations at the microscopic scale, to understand the effects of space radiation at the biological level. The fundamental part of this code is the stochastic simulation of radiation track structure of heavy ions, an important component of space radiations. The code can calculate many relevant quantities such as the radial dose, voxel dose, and may also be used to calculate the dose in spherical and cylindrical targets of various sizes. Recently, we have incorporated DNA structure and damage simulations at the molecular scale in RITRACKS. The direct effect of radiations is simulated by introducing a slight modification of the existing particle transport algorithms, using the Binary‐Encounter‐Bethe model of ionization cross sections for each molecular orbitals of DNA. The simulation of radiation chemistry is done by a step‐by‐step diffusion‐reaction program based on the Green's functions of the diffusion equation]. This approach is also used to simulate the indirect effect of ionizing radiation on DNA. The software can be installed independently on PC and tablets using the Windows operating system and does not require any coding from the user. It includes a Graphic User Interface (GUI) and a 3D OpenGL visualization interface. The calculations are executed simultaneously (in parallel) on multiple CPUs. The main features of the software will be presented.

Plante, I↗