Complete break-up of the helium atom by proton and antiproton impact

Abstract

We present a fully {\it ab initio}, non-perturbative, time-dependent approach to describe single and double ionization of helium by proton and antiproton impact. A flexible and accurate finite-element discrete-variable-representation is applied to discretize the problem on the radial grid in spherical coordinates. Good agreement with the most recent experimental data for absolute angle-integrated cross sections is obtained over a wide range of incident projectile energies between 3 keV and 6 MeV. Furthermore, angle-differential cross sections for two-electron ejection are predicted for a proton impact energy of 6 MeV. Finally, the time evaluation of the ionization process is portrayed by displaying the electron density as a function of the projectile location.

4 pages, 4 figures