Spin Polarization in Proton-Xenon Charge-Exchange Collisions

Abstract

In a recent paper we briefly reported on the possibility of producing spin-polarized hydrogen atoms through the charge-exchange reaction ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}+\mathrm{Xe}\to \mathrm{H}\left({}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}S_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\right)+{\mathrm{Xe}}^{+}\left({}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\right)$. At proton energies of 15 eV, spin polarization is implied by the preferential population of ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{+}\left({}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\right)$ over ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{+}\left({}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{3}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\right)$ and the preliminary two-state calculations presented earlier indicated that a high degree of polarization could be obtained. In this paper we shall give a more complete discussion of the earlier work. In particular we shall describe the model upon which the calculations have been based, and the validity of this model will be examined. Three-state calculations, which allow for the population of ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{+}\left({}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{3}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\right)$, have been performed and these results will be compared with the earlier two-state results. We have also calculated the polarization as a function of scattering angle. It is found that the polarization varies rapidly with angle, owing to diffraction effects, and at certain angles almost 100% polarization is achieved.