Electron Loss in Heavy-Body Collisions

A simple theory based on a free scattering model and the Born approximation is used to describe the loss of electrons from an atomic system during high-energy impact with another atomic system. Calculations for electron loss by atomic hydrogen incident on helium, atomic nitrogen, and argon agree well with the Born approximation and the high-energy experimental data. At high energies the cross sections decrease as aE^-1, where E is the laboratory system energy, and for atomic hydrogen projectiles, a has the values 1.6 ×{} 10^-11 cm² eV, 1.3 ×{} 10^-10 cm² eV, and 4.7 ×{} 10^-10 cm² eV for targets of helium, atomic nitrogen, and argon, respectively.