Coulomb-Born distorted wave approximation applied to the proton-helium single-electron capture process

Abstract

The single-electron capture process in the collision of fast protons with ground-state helium atoms is studied assuming an independent-particle model. The three-body first-order Coulomb-Born distorted wave formalism, including nuclear-electronic and internuclear interactions, with correct boundary conditions is applied to the considered rearrangement process. A single-zeta Roothaan-Hartree-Fock wave function describing helium in its ground state is used to carry out the calculations. Differential and integrated cross sections are calculated for a range of the incident energy for which the present formalism is valid. The comparison of the obtained results with the corresponding experimental measurements and other three- and four-body theoretical calculations shows reasonable agreement. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.