Experimental relative cross sections for electron capture by singly ch
arged ions (Na+) from coherent elliptic states of principal quantum nu
mber n = 25 are presented. An interval of reduced impact velocities fr
om about 1-2 is covered. Absolute reaction cross sections could not be
determined precisely, but the eccentricity of the coherent elliptic s
tates and their orientation relative to the ion-impact velocity were v
aried to expose the dependence of the electron-capture process on the
initial motion of the electron. The dependencies on eccentricity and o
rientation are generally strong and they vary sharply with impact velo
city. Qualitatively, the observations agree fairly well with classical
trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculations, as expected for the large
quantum numbers involved, but significant deviations of a systematic
nature do remain, showing that some aspects of the capture reactions s
tudied are described poorly by classical physics as represented by the
CTMC model. [S1050-2947(97)03412-4].