Using Nuclear Resonance Excitation to Observe United Atoms in Symmetric Ion-Atom Collisions

We consider nuclear resonance excitation as a means to observe the distribution of united-atom orbitals in symmetric ion-atom collisions. We develop this possibility with the application of a two-state adiabatic model to an analysis of a 8Be nuclear resonance experiment. To test our model, and to provide a more direct determination of the nuclear resonance width, we propose that the 8Be experiment be repeated with metastable helium targets