Charge state dynamics of keV ions in solids

Abstract: We study charge-exchange dynamics between slow atomic particles and condensed matter revealing a strong dependence of the mean charge state on particle trajectory. Exploiting transmission geometries, single crystalline targets and distributions of the interaction distances obtained in simulations, we show the differences being rooted in the interaction with inner-shell electrons despite the low ion energy. Energy dissipation due to deexcitation of modified inner shell states as well as increased local ionization density due to altered mean charge states aggregate the excessive energy deposition in amorphous targets compared to channeling trajectories and ab-initio calculations.