Laser-assisted collisions and electron-ion collisions

提出了两个研究领域：(1)在强激光存在下电子与原子或分子之间碰撞的实验研究；(2)电子冲击激发高电荷原子离子的截面测量。(1)碰撞物理学的建议领域涉及电子与原子或分子的碰撞，但增加了第三个物体的复杂性，一个光粒子，光子，进入碰撞事件。由高功率激光系统提供的光子在过程中引入了新的参数，这些参数可能以许多有趣的方式干扰碰撞。例如，新的过程可能发生，这些过程不可能单独通过电子或光子的能量，但可能通过电子和光子的能量一起使用而成为可能。对这些基本过程的研究是我们理解天体物理学和等离子体物理学许多方面的基础，多年来一直是一个活跃的研究领域，无论是理论上还是实验上。(2)在核聚变反应堆（托卡马克）等离子体的某些区域以及恒星中，低能电子与原子离子的碰撞起着关键作用。需要知道原子离子被电子激发和电离的概率。在托卡马克不同区域发生的大量这些过程中的绝大多数已经并将继续由理论计算提供，但仍然需要选择一些实验数据作为理论方法的测试。这些都是极其困难的实验，正在由田纳西州橡树岭国家实验室的一个国际团队进行，他们使用的是位于那里的高电离原子源。我是这个成功团队的积极成员。

There are two areas of research proposed:(1) the experimental investigation of collisions between electrons and atoms or molecules in the presence of an intense laser; and (2) the measurement of cross-sections for the excitation of highly-charged atomic ions by the impact of electrons.(1) The proposed area of collision physics involves the collision of electrons and atoms or molecules but with the added complexity of a third body, a particle of light, the photon, entering the collision event.  The photon, supplied by a high-powered laser system, introduces new parameters into the process which may interfere with the collision in a number of intersting ways.  For example, new processes may occur which are not possible through the energy of the electron or photon alone, but may become possible through the use of the enrgy of both the electron and photon together.  The study of such elementary processes is fundamental to our understanding of many aspects of astrophysics and plasma physics and has been an active area of research, both theoretically and experimentally, for many years.(2) In certain regions of plasmas in nuclear fusion reactors(tokamaks) and also in stars, low energy electron collisions with atomic ions play a key role.  The probability of excitation and ionization of the atomic ions by electrons needs to be known.  The vast majority of the large number of these processes occuring in the different regions of tokamaks have been, and will continue to be, provided by theoretical calculations, but there continues to be a need for a selection of experimental data to be used as tests of the theoretical methods.  These are extremely difficult experiments which are being pursued by an international team at Oak Ridge National Labs, TN using the source for highly ionised atoms that is situated there.  I am an active member of this successful team.