ANALYSIS OF UNEXPLAINED OSCILLATIONS IN INTERMEDIATE-ENERGY ION-ATOM COLLISIONS

Recent studies of collisions of ions with Rydberg atoms have revealed oscillations in the electron capture cross section associated with the number of swaps the electron undergoes between the target and the pro jectile during the collision. We show that signatures of this time-dep endent phenomenon also exist classically in collisions of ions with gr ound state atoms. Based on classical and quantum simulations. we analy ze the conditions under which this phenomenon could be observed. Our r esults indicate that it should be characteristic of a wide range of re actions in ion-atom collisions.