Coulomb trajectory effects on electron-impact detachment of negative ions and on mutual neutralization cross sections

Abstract

Cross sections of electron-impact detachment of negative ions and of mutual neutralization between positive and negative ions are calculated using a model based on the semiclassical theory for ion-atom collisions but modified to include Coulomb trajectory effects. It is shown that the method allows us to obtain accurate results for collisions down to low energies. The Coulomb repulsion between the electron and the negative ion accounts for the rapid decrease of detachment cross sections at low energies, and the Coulomb attraction between positive and negative ions accounts for the rapid increase of neutralization cross sections at low velocities.