Inelastic Heavy Particle Collisions Involving the Crossing of Potential Energy Curves V - Charge Transfer from Neutral Atoms to Doubly and Triply Charged Ions

The Landau-Zener formula for the transition probability arising from the pseudo-crossing of potential energy curves is used to investigate charge transfer processes of the type A + B3+ → A+ + B2+ involving neutral helium atoms and triply charged ions of Be, Li, Al and Mg. In addition, a method based on the Landau-Zener formula involving one experimentally determined parameter is used to calculate cross sections for processes of the type A + B2+ → A+ + B+. Good agreement is found with the cross sections obtained in the laboratory by Hasted and Smith for N2+ ions in He and Ne, and for A2+ ions in Ne.