Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons^™

Excitation Of Hydrogen Atoms By Fast Protons, Edward Ellis Fitchard

Physics Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis a theoretical study is made of excitation of hydrogenic atom by charged particles such as protons or electrons. The approximation to the cross section for an inelastic scattering process is obtained under the following radically simplifying assumptions. The projectile is represented in its initial and final state by plane waves. All distortions are neglected whether they originate in an inelastic process or an elastic deflections of the charged particle by the nucleus. The perturbation of the atomic orbits between which the projectile induces transitions is neglected. Nonrelativistic hydrogenic wave functions are used for the electronic states. In …