Effect of electrons of the multiply charged ion core on single-electron capture

The population of various electronic states of particles that arise during the capture of a single electron in hydrogen and helium atoms, as well as hydrogen molecules, by Ar3+ and Ne3+ ions with an energy of several kiloelectronvolts was studied by collision spectroscopy, viz., precision analysis of kinetic energy variation for ions formed as a result of interaction between ions and atoms. It is shown that single-electron capture in many cases is a multielectron process accompanied by the rearrangement of a multiply charged ion core. It is found that the triply charged Ne3+ ions formed as a result of ionization of Ne atoms by electron impacts are formed mainly in metastable states. The population of excited states of particles during their multiple ionization should be taken into account in determining the characteristics of various particles by the appearance potential method. Collision spectroscopy can be used for analyzing the metastable ion impurities in ionic beams.