ORIENTATION INDUCED SCATTERING ASYMMETRY

Projectile angular scattering is investigated following electron captu re by protons from circular Rydberg atoms oriented along a quantizatio n axis perpendicular to the incident projectile direction. We find str ong left-right scattering asymmetry as a function of the orientation a ngle at collision speeds comparable to the electron orbital speed. The capture cross section is dramatically enhanced due to velocity matchi ng when the angular momenta of the proton and the electron are aligned . The scattering asymmetry exhibits characteristic impact parameter de pendencies suitable for studying three-body dynamics influenced by bot h long and short range forces of comparable strength.