Research on photon and electron collisions with atomic and molecular targets and their ions has seen a rapid increase in interest, both experimentally and theoretically, in recent years. This is partly because these processes provide an ideal means of investigating the dynamics of many particle systems at a fundamental level and partly because their detailed understanding is required in many other fields, particularly astrophysics, plasma physics and controlled thermonuclear fusion, laser physics, atmospheric processes, isotope separation, radiation physics and chemistry and surface science. In recent years a number of important advances have been made, both on the experimental side and on the theoretical side. On the experimental side these include absolute measurements of cross sections, experiments using coincidence techniques, the use of polarised beams and targets, the development of very high energy resolution electron beams, the use of synchrotron radiation sources and ion storage rings, the study of laser assisted atomic collisions, the interaction of super-intense lasers with atoms and molecules and the increasing number of studies using positron beams.

Klappentext

Proceedings of the Second European Study Conference held in Belfast, Norther Ireland, July 23-26, 1996

Inhalt

1. Excitation of Atoms by Electron Impact: Current Status and Future Prospects.- 2. Electron-Helium Correlation Studies.- 3. Ionization of Atoms and Ions by Electron Impact.- 4. R-Matrix Theory of Electron-Molecule Collisions.- 5. Electron Collisions with Molecules on Metal Surfaces.- 6. Recent Measurements of Differential Cross Sections for Electron-Molecule Collisions at Low Energies.- 7. Dissociative Recombination: New Developments Stimulated by Ion Storage Ring Experiments.- 8. One- and Two-Electron Resonances in Molecular Photoionization.- 9. Double Photoionization of Helium.- 10. Multicolor Photoionization of Atoms with an IR Laser and Its Higher UV Harmonics.- 11. Stabilization of Atoms in Ultra-strong Laser Field.- 12. Laser Assisted and Laser Produced Scattering.- 13. R-Matrix-Floquet Theory of Multiphoton Processes.- 14. Resonance Effects in Multiphoton Ionization.- 15. Multiphoton Processes in a Two-Electron Atom Using a Cray T3D.- 16. Application of Parallel Computers to Electron Molecule Scattering Calculations.- 17. Chaos in Atoms in Strong Fields: Periodic Orbits and Diffraction.- 18. Atomic Data and Its Utilization at the Jet Experiment.- 19. Laser-Plasma Interactions in the Femtosecond Time Regime.- 20. The Opacity and Iron ProjectsAn Overview.- 21. Positron Collisions with Atoms.- 22. Scattering of Polarized Electrons from Atoms and Molecules.- 23. Chiral Effects in Electron Scattering by Molecules.