Eur. Phys. J. D (2015) 69: 4
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-50640-2

Regular Article

Theoretical investigations on the projectile coherence effects in fully differential ionization cross sections^*

Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Kogalniceanu street 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

^a e-mail: jferenc@phys.ubbcluj.ro

Received: 29 August 2014
Received in final form: 24 October 2014
Published online: 8 January 2015

Abstract

We propose a theoretical investigation method for testing the effect of the projectile beam coherence on single ionization processes in light atoms. The method is carried out in the framework of a first-order approximation, and the results are tested for single ionization of helium produced by fast charged projectiles. Based on the same ionization amplitudes fully differential cross section calculations are performed for coherent and incoherent projectile beams. Projectile coherence effects are investigated through these fully differential cross sections and the interference effects are evidenced through cross section ratios. The obtained results are compared to the available experimental data. By these calculations we confirm that projectile coherence effects may have important role in these ionization processes.