Heavy Ion Collision Induced Characteristic X-Ray Production — Cross Section Experiments

Abstract

The number of electrons found in an atomic collision of two heavy nuclei may exceed the number of electrons of stable atoms considerably. Combined systems of (Z₁+Z₂) as large as 190 are experimentally feasible. For inner-shell electrons with orbital velocities u approaching the velocity of light, a collision velocity v smaller than 0.15 c still guarantees a combined Coulomb field acting on the electrons sufficiently long in order to make them feel as in an atom of combined atomic number. The combined nuclear charge (Z₁+Z₂) governs the electronic collision phenomena, which demand to be understood knowledge about the properties of atoms beyond the natural ones, or as the latter are in lack of stable nuclear systems not accessible, the collision phenomena convey messages from the world of not existing atoms — the superheavy quasiatoms — PHANtoma-TOMS — PHANTOMS.