Angular and Polarization Analysis of X-Rays Emitted from Highly-Charged, Few-Electron Ions

The recent theoretical progress in studying the x-ray emission from highly-charged, few-electron ions is reviewed. These case studies show that relativistic, high-Z ions provide a unique tool for better understanding the interplay between the electron-photon and electron-electron interactions in strong fields. Most naturally, this interplay is probed by the radiative capture of a (quasi-) free electron into the bound states of projectile ions, and by varying the charge state and the energy of the projectiles. For the capture into initially hydrogen-and lithium-like ions, here we summarize the recent results for the angular distribution and polarization of the recombination photons as well as the subsequent Kα emission, if the electron is captured into an excited state of the ion