Ionization of atomic hydrogen by protons in the energy range 60 to 400 keV
Ionization of atomic hydrogen by protons has been investigated by means of the ‘crossed beam ’ technique in which a proton beam from a Van de Graaff accelerator was arranged to intersect a modulated beam of atomic hydrogen produced from a furnace source. The ratio of the cross-section for ionization of atomic hydrogen to that for molecular hydrogen was determined by comparing the signals due to electrons arising from the interaction region when the beam was mainly atomic and when the beam was entirely molecular. The absolute cross-section for ionization of atomic hydrogen by protons was determined from a knowledge of the molecular cross-section. The results are in good agreement with the Born approximation calculations of Bates & Grilling and in fair agreement with the recent low energy data of Fite, Stebbings, Hummer & Brackmann.