Abstract
The vibrationally inelastic scattering of Rydberg H atoms from and at was studied as a function of laboratory deflection angle. On average, 4 times more vibrational excitation was observed in collisions with than with . Vibrational excitation of results largely from collisions in which an electron is briefly transferred from to the proton core, while the Rydberg electron remains a spectator. This provides further evidence that the free electron model applies to low energy collisions involving the ionic core leading to substantial momentum transfer.
- Received 11 October 2000
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3997
©2001 American Physical Society