Multi-Electron Transfer of Ar^(+) Colliding with Ne Atoms Based on a Time-Dependent Density-Functional Theory

The multi-electron capture and loss cross-sections of Ar^(+)-Ne collisions are calculated at absolute energies in the few-keV/a.u.regime.The calculations are performed using a novel inverse collision framework,in the context of a time-dependent density functional theory,combined with molecular dynamics.The extraction of the capture and loss probabilities is based on the particle-number projection technique,originating from nuclear physics,but validly extended to represent many-electron systems.Good agreement between experimental and theoretical data is found,which clearly reveals the non-negligible post-collision decay of the projectile’s electrons,providing further evidence for the applicability of the approach to complex many-electron collision systems.