Plasma rate coefficients for electron-impact ionization of Xe super(q+) ions (q = 8, ..., 17)

Plasma rate coefficients (PRCs) for electron-impact single ionization of ground-state Xe super(q+) ions (q = 8, ..., 17) in the temperature range 2 x 10 super(5) - 2 x 10 super(7) K have been derived from a combination of experimental cross-section data and results of distorted-wave calculations. For Xe super(8+) and Xe super(9+) new measurements were performed and thoroughly analyzed with respect to the contributions from different ionization mechanisms and the effects of long-lived excited states in the parent ion beams that had been employed in the experiments. In the same manner, previously published experimental data for the higher charge states were analyzed to extract the ground-configuration ionization cross sections and to derive the associated PRCs. The resulting temperature-dependent PRC functions were parameterized and the associated parameters are provided in tabular form. With the exception of Xe super(8+) the absolute uncertainties of the inferred rate coefficients are estimated to be + or -10%. For Xe super(8+) the uncertainties are + or -25% due to the necessary correction for strong metastable-ion contributions to the measured cross sections.