Swift ion induced wake potential in two component plasma: Low energy electron emission and projectile atomic transitions

Abstract

The charge density and wake potential induced by the motion of a fast heavy ion through a two component plasma is studied in the self-consistent linear approximation. The consistent long wavelength approximation allows an analytical evaluation of these quantities. It is found that the strong oscillating contribution trailing behind the ion, called shock wave, has only one component corresponding to the resultant plasma frequency W_p and dispersion K₁. The directed low energy electrons emitted by the shock wave, when it reaches the surface, have an inclination a with the incident ion direction which depends on ion velocity. W_p and K₁. The localized part of the wake potential is predicted to shift and broaden the inner atomic transitions on the ion and also it affects the convoy electron spectrum. The theory predicts characteristic variations of these observables with the concentration of one of the components of the plasma.