Electron loss from metastable hydrogen

Abstract

Cross sections for electron loss from metastable hydrogen in collisions with argon, molecular hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen have been measured in the energy range 2-60 keV. The results are compared with recent experimental work of Gilbody et al. and with theoretical predictions based on the semiempirical classical impulse approximation of Bates and Walker and, in the case of hydrogen, with born approximation calculations of Bell and Kingston. While a satisfactory agreement between theory and the present experiment is found, measured cross sections are significantly larger that those of Gilbody et al. (see abstr. A23337 of 1971).