THEORY OF PROJECTILE IONIZATION BY MOLECULAR-HYDROGEN TARGETS

The study of events in which ionization of a projectile electron occur s together with the transition of a target electron offers an opportun ity to explore the dynamics of electron-electron interaction. Experime ntal and theoretical investigations have isolated an effect due to the interaction of electrons associated with two different (projectile an d target) centers. For a molecular hydrogen target, the role of two-ce nter electron-electron interaction is further complicated by the two-c enter nature of the target. The influence of the two-center nature of the target on the two-center projectile-target electron-electron inter action is illustrated through a calculation of cross sections for proj ectile ionization with target molecular hydrogen being promoted into i ts first excited state.