Electron Capture Processes

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to consideration of electron capture (EC), which is one of the most important recombination mechanisms in collisions of ions with various targets. Special features of EC are described such as the presence different atomic particles before and after collision, a preferential capture of inner-shell target electrons at high energies, the role of excited states of the projectile ion after EC, different scaling laws at low and high energies and so on. The influence of the target-density effect as well as the use of the Bragg’s additivity rule for EC cross sections are described. Information on multiple-electron capture, which is very important for many applications, is also given. EC processes at very low energies, where the molecular effects play a key role, are considered in detail in Chap. 5.