Effects of coulomb repulsion in the inner-shell ionization cross-section by protons, deuterons and alpha-particles

A critical survey has been made of the currently accepted BEA theory for inner-shell atomic-ionization processes. This review has led to the introduction of an effective ion energy which accounts for the slowing-down of the ion in the nuclear Coulomb field. The effect of the ion deflection, also due to the nuclear Coulomb field, is analysed. Relativistic effects in the collision of ions withK-shell electrons have been taken into account. A tentative qualitative explanation for the experimentally observed nonexistence of a threshold energy for ionization is given in the framework of the BEA theory. Ionization cross-sections for Rb, Sr, Zr, Cd, In, Sb, W by protons in the energy range from 500 keV to 3 MeV have been measured. Also measurements of ionization cross-sections by deuterons in the energy range from 800 keV to 2.6 MeV on Rb, Sr, Zr, Cd, Sb and by He ions in the energy range from 1.4 MeV to 2.8 MeV on Cd and Sb have been performed. Results are compared with those of other authors and in the context of the corrections introduced in the BEA theory.