ELECTRON DETACHMENT FROM THE NEGATIVE HYDROGEN-ION BY PROTON IMPACT

Using the four-body correlated distorted-wave formalism of scattering theory, we investigate the single-electron detachment process H+ + H- --> H+ + H + e(-) at incident velocities v covering a large range from 0.235 au all the way up to 10 au. Our main emphasis is placed upon th e combined role played by the long-range Coulomb distortion effects of the incident plane wave and the associated perturbation potentials. A crucial connection between the entrance channel Coulomb asymptotic st ate and the pertinent perturbation, which causes the transition in H+- H- detachment is consistently used for the first time in computations of the 'prior' cross sections. The obtained results are shown to be in excellent agreement with the available experimental data, in sharp co ntrast with the previous situation for the problem under study.