Atomic Physics with Accelerators: Projectile Electron Spectroscopy
at the NCSR "Demokritos" Tandem accelerator
APAPES website: http://apapes.physics.uoc.gr
The only existing heavy ion accelerator in Greece, the 5.5MV Τ11/25 TANDEM Van de Graaff at the National Research Center "Demokritos" in Athens has been used to date primarily for investigations centering around nuclear physics. Here, we propose to establish the new (for Greece) discipline of Atomic Physics with Accelerators, a strong field in the EU with important contributions to fusion, hot plasmas, astrophysics, accelerator technology and basic atomic physics of ion-atom collision dynamics, structure and technology. This will be accomplished by combining the existing interdisciplinary atomic collisions expertise from three Greek universities, the strong support of distinguished foreign researchers and the high technical ion-beam know-how of the TANDEM group into a cohesive initiative.
Employing the TANDEM as a user facility, collaborative experiments will be conducted using state-of-the-art technology, while young researchers will gain valuable hands-on expertise.
Work packages include the design and implementation of a:
- New dedicated beam line
- Gas and foil strippers for the intense production of highly charged ions at the TANDEM
- Specialized high-vacuum collision chamber for performing Zero-degree Auger projectile spectroscopy (ZAPS) utilizing state-of-the-art equipment
- Doubly differentially pumped gas target
- Data acquisition/control system for running the experiment
The hiring of dedicated postdoc including graduate and undergraduate students will be extremely important for the overall success of the project.
Using the new ZAPS setup we shall complete a much needed systematic isoelectronic investigation of K-Auger spectra emitted from collisions of pre-excited ions with gas targets using novel techniques. Our results are expected to lead to a deeper understanding of the neglected importance of cascade feeding of metastable states in collisions of ions with gas targets and further elucidate their role in the non-statistical production of excited three-electron states by electron capture, recently a field of conflicting interpretations awaiting further resolution.