Formation and decay of hollow atoms""

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Project objective

Research objectives and content Highly charged ions approaching a metal surface neutralize by capturing electrons into nearly equivalent highly excited orbitals, thus forming hollow atoms". These "hollow atoms" are invoked to interprete experimental data obtained in ion-surface collisions, but have never directly been "seen" because they are destroyed shortly after their formation, when they impinge on the surface. In this project it is proposed to form "hollow atoms" in such a way that they can be observed during their natural lifetime. They will be formed in peripheral collisions of multiply charged ions with C60 "bucky balls", and their decay will be observed by detection of the photons and electrons emitted during the interaction. Such measurements will for the first time allow to reveal the physical properties of these "hollow atoms". An aspect of fundamental interest is that "hollow atoms" represent an intermediate between atoms with electrons in well defined orbitals on the one hand and of "nanostructures" with their collective many-body electron dynamics on the other hand. The envisaged research is suitable to reveal qualitatively new electronic characteristics of such an intermediate system. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact) The candidate will have the opportunity to become acquainted with several modern research techniques: (i) the production of highly charged ions with an Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance (ECR) ion source (ii) analysis and quantitative determination of collision induced light emission in the visible and soft X-ray region (iii) mass spectrometry with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Links with industry / industrial relevance (22) Presently there is no direct link with industry. However the understanding of "hollow atoms" is certainly important in connection with relevant processes like ion-surface interaction or the design of X-ray lasers."

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN · GRONINGENCoordinatorNetherlands
• Not availableCity levelGermany

Links

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