Interaction of Heavy Ion Beams with Plasma Electrons: Role of Many-Electron Ionization Processes

Processes of multiple electron-impact ionization of ions in a plasma and a beam passing through the plasma have been considered. Using experimental data and theoretical calculations of the cross sections for n -electron ionization , the contribution from many-electron ionization rates to the total ionization rate has been determined as a function of the electron temperature of the plasma T . It has been shown that the total contribution of many-electron ionization rates to the total ionization rate in ion beams passing through the plasma is determined by the relation between the velocity of an ion beam and the thermal velocity of electrons in the plasma . Many-electron ionization rates have been numerically calculated for W + ions for electron temperatures of the plasma from 1 eV to 10 keV and velocities of the ion beam = 0–30 a.u., where 1 a.u. ≈ 2.2 × 10 8 cm/s is the atomic unit of velocity.