A generalized independent atom model approach for net ionization of molecules by multiply-charged heavy-ion impact

Abstract

The previously applied independent atom model (IAM) for highly charged ion-molecule collisions which implemented the suppression of multiple ionization and capture on the basis of geometric overlaps of cross-sectional areas representing ion-atom cross sections using a pixel counting method (PCM), [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 101}, 062709 (2020)] is extended to incorporate the possibility of multiple collisions within the molecule. This is accomplished on the basis of estimated mean free paths for sequential projectile-atom collisions. The IAM-PCM was demonstrated to be successful in describing proton-molecule collisions, and moderately-charged ion impact at high collision energies. The new model does agree with these results, but has important consequences for highly charged projectiles providing larger cross sections than IAM-PCM, but still well below the simple additivity rule results.