CONTINUUM X RAYS IN HIGHLY CHARGED ION-ATOM COLLISIONS

Continuous X rays produced by highly charged heavy ion-atom collisions have been studied experimentally. 2–5.5 MeV/u F, Si, S and Cl ions with zero or one electron were bombarded with a thin gas target of H2 and He. Emitted X-ray spectra were measured by using a Si(Li) X-ray detector at 90°. The characteristic X rays and radiative electron capture X rays were observed clearly, which were superimposed on the continuum X rays. The continuum X rays can be well explained by two types of radiative processes: mainly quasi-free electron bremsstrahlung (QFEB), and partly atomic bremsstrahlung (AB). It should be noticed that QFEB is predominant at low X-ray energy region and AB at high X-ray energy region in highly charged heavy ion-atom collision process.