Three-Body Coulomb Problem Probed by Mapping the Bethe Surface in Ionizing Ion-Atom Collisions

The three-body Coulomb problem has been explored in kinematically complete experiments on single ionization of helium by 100 MeV / u C 6 + and 3.6 MeV / u u 5 3 + impact. Low-energy electron emission (E e \u3c 150 eV ) as a function of the projectile deflection ϑ p (momentum transfer), i.e., the Bethe surface [[15]], has been mapped with Δ ϑ p ± 25 nanoradian resolution at extremely large perturbations (3.6 MeV / uAu53+ ) where single ionization occurs at impact parameters of typically 10 times the He K -shell radius. The experimental data are not in agreement with state-of-the-art continuum distorted wave-eikonal initial state theory