Interference effects in collisions between heavy ions and molecular targets

The transfer-excitation process in O ⁸⁺+H ₂ collisions is studied at high impact energies using an independent event model. The transfer-excitation probability is expressed as a product of a capture probability from H ₂ ( P_C), leaving the H ₂⁺ in its ground state, and an excitation probability ( P_E) of the residual target to a dissociative state. P_C is evaluated in the Continuum Distorted Wave-Eikonal Final State (CDW-EFS) model and P_E is calculated in the first Born approximation (FBA). The differential cross-sections are studied as a function of the molecular orientation and the interference patterns obtained are compared with the available experimental data.