Theoretical calculation of single ionization in collisions between protonsand low-Z molecules at intermediate and high energies - art. no. 022701

Single ionization total cross sections for proton impact on N-2, CO, CH4, a nd CO2 are calculated by applying the continuum-distorted-wave-eikonal-init ial-state model. Two different approximations have been considered for mole cular targets: Bragg's additivity rule and a molecular representation of th e bound state target wave function. In the latter, the cross section is app roximated by a linear combination of atomic cross sections where the coeffi cients are determined from a population analysis and the binding energies h ave been extracted from experimental spectra. The results from both models are compared with experimental data.