Cross Section for M -Shell Ionization in Heavy Atoms by Collision of Simple Heavy Charged Particles

The cross sections for M-shell electron ionization by direct Coulomb excitation of heavy target atoms by incident heavy charged particles are evaluated. Incident particles are described in the plane-wave Born approximation, and screened hydrogenic wave functions are used for the atomic electrons. Numerical results are given for Au, U, and No, and the theory is compared with experimental data for Ho as an illustration. Explicit expressions for the absolute values of the M-subshell form factors of bound-free transitions are presented as functions of momentum and energy transfers. The results are discussed.