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Neutralization of Multiply Charged Ground-State Ions by Collective Electron Transfer from an Environment.
Lutz Marder1, Catmarna Küstner-Wetekam1, Nils Kiefer1
1Universität Kassel, Institut für Physik und CINSaT, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|August 18, 2025
Summary
Highly charged cations can now decay via a new electron-transfer-mediated decay (ETMD) pathway. This novel ETMD(4) process involves collective electron transfer from multiple sites to neutralize multiply charged ions.
Area of Science:
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Chemical Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Highly charged cations are common after light-matter interactions.
- Cation charge redistribution is vital for system evolution.
- Conventional decay pathways include radiative, nuclear dynamics, and electron-transfer-mediated decay (ETMD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the decay mechanisms of multiply charged ions when conventional ETMD channels are unavailable.
- To identify and characterize novel charge transfer processes in such systems.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of cation decay processes.
- Computational simulations of electron dynamics in multiply charged systems.
- Analysis of electron emission spectra and charge states.
Main Results:
- A novel variant of electron-transfer-mediated decay (ETMD) was discovered.
- This new process, termed ETMD(4), involves collective electron transfer.
- Two electrons from distinct neighboring sites partially neutralize a multiply charged ion, leading to electron emission from a fourth site.
Conclusions:
- ETMD(4) represents a previously unknown decay channel for multiply charged ions.
- This finding expands our understanding of charge transfer dynamics in complex systems.
- The collective electron transfer mechanism has significant implications for predicting the fate of irradiated matter.
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