Production and Exploration of Rydberg Highly Charged Ions

这个项目将推进关于里德堡高电荷态离子(RyHCI)的形成和衰变的知识。高电荷离子是指原子中所有或大部分电子都被剥离，剩下的电子(S)存在于原子核的极大电场中。对这些系统中电子跃迁的测量为极端条件下的物理预测提供了严格的测试。里德堡高电荷态离子，其中剩余的电子处于高激发态，将是这一项目的重点。这些系统为测量基本常数、量子信息处理方案、量子电动力学的精密测试和精密X射线波长标准提供了试验台。这种极端电子态的形成并不简单，因为激发能比普通激光可达跃迁的激发能高出许多个数量级。研究活动还涉及对下一代科学家进行原子物理、光谱学、数据分析、科学研究和科学通信方面的培训。除了研究生，这个团队还将通过克莱姆森大学的校园研究活动来指导本科生，例如针对在校学生的创造性探究计划和Eureka！这项研究的总体目标是创造和研究里德堡高电荷态离子(RyHCI)，在这种离子中，单个电子占据高主要量子数态。从中性原子碰撞到裸原子里德堡能级的单电子俘获将被用作这些独特的类氢系统的产生机制。导致这些单电子离子形成的电荷交换过程还远未完全被理解，因此这些结果也将有助于理解原子物理中的这个重要问题。该团队将在克莱姆森大学的电子束离子陷阱(CUEBIT)设施中创建不同动能的HCI光束，并将它们与气体喷射靶的不同中性原子相交。高分辨率和宽带X射线光谱仪将被用来同时观察直接到基态的跃迁以及替代的级联通道。RyHCI中的谱线将作为电子俘获的初始(n，L)分布的特征。此外，该团队将与理论家合作，使用碰撞级联模型来确定初始捕获的地点分布，并将他们的发现与包括经典轨迹蒙特卡罗模拟在内的理论计算进行比较。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will advance knowledge about the formation and decay of Rydberg highly charged ions (RyHCI). Highly charged ions are atoms in which all or most of their electrons have been stripped and the remaining electron(s) exist in the extremely large electric field of the nucleus. Measurements of electronic transitions in these systems provide stringent tests of physics predictions in extreme conditions. Rydberg highly charged ions, in which the remaining electron is in a highly excited state, will be the focus of this project. These systems provide test beds for measurement of fundamental constants, quantum information processing schemes, precision tests of quantum electrodynamics, and precision X-ray wavelength standards. The formation of such extreme electronic states is not straightforward, due to excitation energies that are many orders of magnitude higher than that of ordinary laser accessible transitions. The research activity also involves training of next generation scientists in atomic physics, spectroscopy, data analysis, scientific research, and scientific communication. In addition to graduate students, this team will mentor undergraduate students through Clemson University's on-campus research initiatives such as the Creative Inquiry program for current students and the Eureka! program for incoming undergraduates.The overall goal of this research is to create and investigate Rydberg highly charged ions (RyHCI) in which a single electron occupies high principle quantum number states. Single electron capture from colliding neutral atoms into the Rydberg levels of bare nuclei will be employed as a production mechanism for these unique H-like systems. The charge exchange process that leads to the formation of these one-electron ions is far from being fully understood, and therefore the results will also contribute to the understanding of this important problem in atomic physics. This team will create HCI beams of different kinetic energies at the Clemson University Electron Beam Ion Trap (CUEBIT) facility and intersect them with different neutral atoms of a gas jet target. High-resolution and broadband X-ray spectrometers will be used to observe transitions directly to the ground state simultaneously with alternative cascade channels. Spectral lines in RyHCI will serve as signatures for the initial (n,l) distribution of the electron capture. Additionally, this team will collaborate with theoreticians to use a collisional cascade model to determine the site distribution of the initial capture and compare their findings with theoretical calculations including classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.