Ionization of Atomic Hydrogen and Helium by Low Energy Antiprotons

Experimental studies of collision processes, in which fundamental charged particles ionize simple atoms and molecules, provide the data necessary for our understanding of the many-body interaction and the development a theoretical description of this fundamental yet unsolved problem in collision dynamics. The ionization process plays an important role in astrophysical and technological plasmas and in the dissociation of molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. A comparison of single and multiple ionization of simple atomic and molecular targets by equi-velocity protons, electrons and their corresponding antiproton and positron antiparticles makes it possible to determine the effects of projectile mass and charge. The separation of 'pure' ionization from electron capture or transfer ionization processes can be studied in the special case of antiprotons colliding with light atoms. The absence of electron transfer is a significant simplification and the mass of the projectile enables straight-line trajectories models to be used.