Coherent excitation of H(n=2) in H+, H - He collisions

The coherent excitation of H(n=2) in H+, H - He collisions was investigated at incident energies of 5–25 keV. From a polarization analysis of the emitted Lyman-α radiation as a function of an external electric field, the partial cross sections for excitation to the H(2s) and the H(2pm) magnetic substates and the real part of thes −p0-coherence were extracted. For H+-He collisions, the measured partial cross sections are in fair agreement with previous two-electron calculations by Kimura and Lin; the agreement with one-electron calculations of Jain et al. is, particularly at the lower incident energies, less satisfactory. For both collision systems, an energy-dependent forward-backward asymmetry corresponding to a shift of the center-of-charge relative to the center-of-mass (dipole moment) was observed. In H+ - He collisions, the measured dipole moment was positive; it thus corresponds to an electron trailing behind the proton. The same analysis applied to the H - He system showed the electron riding in front of the proton.