Doppler-shifted X-ray Spectroscopy of Nonradiative Electron Capture in Relativistic Collisions of Xe54+ Ions with Kr and Xe Atoms

Abstract

We present an angular-resolved Doppler spectroscopy study of nonradiative electron capture in relativistic collisions of bare Xe54+ ions with Kr and Xe gas targets at the HIRFL-CSR storage ring. The energy spectra and angular distributions of X-rays emitted from fast-moving down-charged projectiles were measured at five observation angles of 35°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 145° and three collision energies of 95, 146, and 197 MeV/u by employing the effect of Doppler shift. The transition intensities of Xe53+ ions with small energy differences were precisely determined. In symmetric Xe54+ \to Xe collisions, the transition intensities of Xe53+ and Xe52+ ions were identified when X-rays emitted by projectiles overlapped with K X-rays arising from target ionization. The anisotropy parameters of the K{α_1}(+M2) transition were derived from the angular emission patterns of the corresponding spectral lines. The relative populations of the L, M, and N-shell excited levels of Xe53+ and Xe52+ were further deduced from the intensity ratios of I(Ly-β)/I(Ly-α), I(Ly-γ)/I(Ly-α), and I(Kα)/I(Ly-α). The energy dependence of the population of excited projectile levels was obtained for both targets. Furthermore, the experimental results were compared with theoretical calculations of nonradiative single- and double-electron capture based on the relativistic eikonal approximation and the independent-electron approximation. These findings provide valuable insights into the magnetic-sublevel population and n-resolved state-selective population of excited states produced in relativistic collisions of highly charged heavy ions with multi-electron atoms.