High-charge-low-velocity electron capture studied by X-ray line quenching

High-charge-low-velocity neon recoil ions have been produced by impact of 3.6 MeV amu-1 krypton ions. Electron capture from surrounding neutral parent gas atoms in subsequent collisions has been studied by observing the quenching of K alpha X-ray lines from the metastable states in Ne VIII and Ne IX. In the case of charge exchange between Ne8+ and Ne the photon quenching rate of the 1s2p 3P1 state yields a capture rate coefficient of kc=(2.8+or-0.8)*10-9 cm3 s-1.