Electron Capture by Alpha Particles Incident on Atomic Hydrogen

Abstract

A calculation of capture probability and the total capture cross section of the electron in the system ${\mathrm{He}}^{++}$+H → ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$+${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ has been made taking into account the couplings of the initial state with the $1s$, $2s$, $2p_0$, and $2p_{\pm 1}$ states of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ion. In the low-energy region, the numerical results for the capture probability agree partly with the experiments of Keever and Everhart. The nature of decrease of calculated total capture cross section with decreasing energy agrees well with the experimental findings of Fite, Smith, and Stebbings.