Differential Analysis of Electron Saddle-Swap Oscillations in Ar16+ Collisions with H(1s)

In this work, state-selective electron-capture processes in collisions of Ar16+ with ground-state hydrogen are analyzed in classical terms by means of the classical trajectory Z-CTMC method. Oscillations in the n-state-selective charge-exchange cross-sections are observed in the impact-energy range 1–10 keV/u for n-values greater than the nmax value at which charge exchange maximizes. The oscillations are ascribed to an electron-swap mechanism between centers previously identified in ion–Rydberg and ion–alkali charge-exchange collisions. A detailed analysis of the structures in the perpendicular momentum-transfer distributions and their association with the different numbers of swaps is developed. Their dynamics in terms of the collisional impact parameters are also presented.