Projectile ionization:


(He+ + He -> He2+ + He+ + 2e-) (publications)



COLTRIMS allowed for the first time to separate experimentally the contribution of ee (target electron - projectile electron) interaction from the en (target nucleus - projectile electron) interaction to the ionization of the projectile. In the ee process the projectile electron is knocked out by an interaction with the target electron while in the en process it is ionized by an interaction with the target nucleus.