High energy ion channeling. Principles and typical applications

The paper presents a review on selected aspects of high-energy ion channeling. Ion trajectories and fluxes are obtained in the frame of the 'continuum model', in which atomic strings or planes are considered as uniformly charged objects. Computer simulations treating the consecutive binary collisions are also presented. Some typical applications are described, which take mostly benefit of the development of a highly non-uniform ion flux strongly peaked far from the heart of target atoms. These applications concern of course particle-matter interactions through, for instance, refined studies of the impact parameter dependence of energy loss and of charge exchange processes. They also concern material and surface science or nuclear physics, through lattice location measurements. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.