Measurement of the Charge Exchange Cross Section for N7+, O7+ Ions in Collision with Atomic H

The absolute total cross sections for the charge exchange between highly charged ions N-15(7+), O7+, and atomic H have been measured with the ion-atom merged-beams apparatus at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The collision energy range is from 1224 down to 2 eV u(-1), which covers outflowing hot components of astrophysical charge exchange plasmas like stellar-wind and supernova remnants. Good agreement with the previous measurements and theory is found for the collision energies above 100 eV u(-1), while below 100 eV u(-1) limited agreement is achieved with the available calculations. These cross-section data are useful for modeling X-ray emission resulting from the charge exchange at the interface of hot plasma interacting with ambient neutral gas.

Automated summary

This research experimentally measured the charge exchange process between highly charged ions and atomic hydrogen, covering a collision energy range relevant to the hot components of astrophysical charge exchange plasmas. The results are important for modeling X-ray emission resulting from the interaction of hot plasma with ambient neutral gas.