Collision cross sections for few electron systems. Final report, August 1, 2992--July 31, 1995

The purpose of this project was to produce accurate cross sections for collisionally induced reactions from the ground stated and excited states of species of ions and at present in a hot fusion plasma. The collisional constituents may be divided into two categories for the purpose of calculations: Those in which a bare projectile excites a one electron or two electron ion or atom from its ground state, or excited states to higher excited states or ionized states. Those in which the projectile has one or more electrons attached to it and excites a one electron or two electron ion or atom from its ground state, or excited states to higher excited states or ionized states. During the collision the projectile itself may change its state being simultaneously excited or ionized. Cross sections are needed typically over the whole energy range from low velocities where molecular, orbitals begin to form to high velocities where first Born or more sophisticated asymptotic theories can be used. These high energy cross sections are very useful for experimentalists to check the absolute normalization of their cross sections. The theoretical tools used were therefore both analytical and numerical in character. Numerical calculations were restricted to expansions of the wavefunctions in a set of finite hilbert basis states (FHBS). The many body aspects of the problem, i.e. the important presence of the interelectron force, or correlation mandate a careful systematic approach. But this section was tempered in our strategy by the fact that many of the cross sections needed, especially from excited states, have never been calculated or measured at all. Thus any information we can provide is useful even if later work may modify our results