Experimental and theoretical total cross sections for single and double ionization of the open-$4d$-shell ions Xe${}^{12+}$, Xe${}^{13+}$, and Xe${}^{14+}$ by electron impact

Abstract

We present new experimental and theoretical cross sections for electron-impact single ionization of Xe${}^{12+}$ and Xe${}^{13+}$ ions, and double ionization of Xe${}^{12+}$, Xe${}^{13+}$ and Xe${}^{14+}$ ions for collision energies from the respective ionization thresholds up to 3500 eV. The calculations use the fully relativistic subconfiguration-averaged distorted-wave (SCADW) approach and, partly, the more detailed level-to-level distorted wave (LLDW) method. We find that, unlike in previous work, our theoretical cross sections agree with our experimental ones within the experimental uncertainties, except for the near-threshold double-ionization cross sections. We attribute this remaining discrepancy to the neglect of direct-double ionization in the present theoretical treatment.

12 pages, 9 figures, 1 table