Absolute charge capture cross sections from a Rydberg target: experimental results and comparison with theoretical models

Absolute charge capture cross sections from laser excited rubidium Rydberg atoms have been measured for projectile velocities between 0.05 and 0.6 atomic units, and for projectile charges of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 40. The results are compared with predictions of the Bohr - Lindhard model and classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations. The data are also presented in a Knudsen plot, which demonstrates a convenient scaling law based on the Bohr - Lindhard model.