Model of charge transfer collisions between C60 and slow ions.

A semiclassical model describing the charge transfer collisions of C60 fullerene with different slow ions has been developed to analyze available observations. These data reveal multiple Breit-Wigner-like peaks in the cross sections, with subsequent peaks of reactive cross sections decreasing in magnitude. Calculations of charge transfer probabilities, quasi-resonant cross sections, and cross sections for reactive collisions have been performed using semiempirical interaction potentials between fullerenes and ion projectiles. All computations have been carried out with realistic wave functions for C60's valence electrons derived from the simplified jellium model. The quality of these electron wave functions has been successfully verified by comparing theoretical calculations and experimental data on the small angle cross sections of resonant C60+C60 + collisions. Using the semiempirical potentials to describe resonant scattering phenomena in C60 collisions with ions and Landau-Zener charge transfer theory, we calculated theoretical cross sections for various C60 charge transfer and fragmentation reactions which agree with experiments.

Demonstrating universal scaling for dynamics of Yukawa one-component plasmas after an interaction quench.

The Yukawa one-component plasma (OCP) model is a paradigm for describing plasmas that contain one component of interest and one or more other components that can be treated as a neutralizing, screening background. In appropriately scaled units, interactions are characterized entirely by a screening parameter, κ. As a result, systems of similar κ show the same dynamics, regardless of the underlying parameters (e.g., density and temperature). We demonstrate this behavior using ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) created by photoionizing a cold (T≤10 mK) gas. The ions in UNP systems are well described by the Yukawa model, with the electrons providing the screening. Creation of the plasma through photoionization can be thought of as a rapid quench of the interaction potential from κ=∞ to a final κ value set by the electron density and temperature. We demonstrate experimentally that the postquench dynamics are universal in κ over a factor of 30 in density and an order of magnitude in temperature. Results are compared with molecular-dynamics simulations. We also demonstrate that features of the postquench kinetic energy evolution, such as disorder-induced heating and kinetic-energy oscillations, can be used to determine the plasma density and the electron temperature.

Publisher's Note: Demonstrating universal scaling for dynamics of Yukawa one-component plasmas after an interaction quench [Phys. Rev. E 93, 023201 (2016)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.93.023201.

Classical stark mixing at ultralow collision energies

Exact solutions of the time-dependent classical equations are obtained for the full array of angular momentum mixing transitions nl-->nl(') in atomic hydrogen induced by collisions with charged particles at ultralow energies. A novel classical expression for the transition probability P(l(')l) is presented. The exact classical results for P(l(')l)(alpha) as a function of l,l(') and the Stark parameter alpha agree exceptionally well with (exact) quantal results. They complement the quantal results by revealing essential characteristics which remain obscured in the quantal treatment.

Quantal-classical correspondence impulse theory

The quantal impulse cross section is derived in a novel form appropriate for direct classical correspondence. The classical impulse cross section is then uniquely defined and yields the first general classical expression for nl-n(')l(') collisional transitions. The derived cross sections satisfy the optical theorem and detailed balance. Direct connection with the classical binary encounter approximation is also firmly established. The unified method introduced is general in its application to various collision and recombination processes and enables new directions of enquiry to be pursued quite succinctly.

Rydberg atom formation in ultracold plasmas: small energy transfer with large consequences.

We present extensive Monte Carlo calculations of electron-impact-induced transitions between highly excited Rydberg states and provide accurate rate coefficients. For moderate energy changes, our calculations confirm the widely applied expressions in P. Mansbach and J. Keck [Phys. Rev. 181, 275 (1969)] but reveal strong deviations at small energy transfer. Simulations of ultracold plasmas demonstrate that these corrections significantly impact the short-time dynamics of three-body Rydberg atom formation. The improved rate coefficients yield quantitative agreement with recent ultracold plasma experiments.

Molecular-dynamics simulations of cold antihydrogen formation in strongly magnetized plasmas.

Employing a high-order symplectic integrator and an adaptive time-step algorithm, we perform molecular-dynamics simulations of antihydrogen formation, in a cold plasma confined by a strong magnetic field, over time scales of microseconds. Sufficient positron-antiproton recombination events occur to allow a statistical analysis for various properties of the formed antihydrogen atoms. Giant-dipole states are formed in the initial stage of recombination. In addition to neutral atoms, we also observe antihydrogen positive ions (H(+)), in which two positrons simultaneously bind to an antiproton.

Exchange forces in dispersion relations investigated using circuit relations.

We propose a novel method to compute in an exact manner the left-hand cut discontinuity of the electron-atom partial wave scattering amplitude in the complex energy plane within the static exchange approximation. Zero energy dispersion relations for electron-hydrogen scattering are computed numerically for illustration.

Strongly magnetized antihydrogen and its field ionization.

Internal orbits of experimentally analyzed antihydrogen (H) atoms depend as much on an external magnetic field as on the Coulomb force. A circular "guiding center atom" model is used to understand their field ionization. This useful model, assumed in the theory of three-body H recombination so far, ignores the important coupling between internal and center-of-mass motion. A conserved pseudomomentum, effective potential, saddle point analysis, and numerical simulation show where the simple model is valid and classify the features of the general case, including "giant dipole states."