Strong temperature dependence of laser-enhanced charge transfer in collisions of sodium clusters with sodium atoms

We have performed a combined experimental and theoretical study of the charge transfer for 5-keV Naₙ⁺ cluster-ion collisions with Na atoms in their ground and laser-excited states. The theoretical analysis of the laser-enhanced charge-transfer probability, based on a self-consistent treatment of both charge-transfer and collision-induced fragmentation, shows a crucial dependence on the energy content of the Naₙ⁺ clusters before the collision. Quantitative information on this energy is obtained by comparing experimental data with theoretical results.