Electron vacancy production in near-symmetric collisions of 100 MeV copper ions

Using a high-resolution Si(Li) X-ray detector, characteristic K X-rays have with targets of Cr, Fe, Cu, Ge and Se bombarded by 100 MeV Cu ions, equilibrated by passing through carbon. Cross sections for X-ray production, target-to-projectile vacancy-sharing ratios and Ksub(-) to Ksub (ALPHA) ratios, were measured and compared to predictions of molecular-coupling theories. The results show little agreement with existing models based on rotational coupling in molecular-orbital states.