Intermediate stages of the neutralization of multiply charged ions interacting with solid surfaces

Abstract

We consider the electron capture (neutralization) into Rydberg states of multiply charged ions interacting with solid surface in the normal (escaping) and in the grazing incidence geometry. The time-symmetrized two-state vector model is used to investigate the intermediate stages of the population dynamics. For the fixed initial and final states of the active electron, the two wave functions which evolve simultaneously in two opposite directions of time (by two scenarios), are used to describe the transitional electron state. In both considered geometries, the main idea is to obtain the information about the position and the magnitude of the population process for the fixed initial and final states of the active electron. The results are compared with the classical overbarrier predictions and the measured kinetic energy gain due to the image acceleration of the ions. It is demonstrated that the ionic velocity influences the ion-surface distance at which the formation of the particular intermediate Rydberg state is mainly localized, as well as the probability of this formation.