go to top scroll for more

Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/G067082/1
Title Ionization of Atomic Hydrogen by Low Energy Antiprotons
Status Completed
Energy Categories Nuclear Fission and Fusion(Nuclear Fusion) 50%;
Not Energy Related 50%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Professor RW McCullough
No email address given
Mathematics & Physics
Queen's University Belfast
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 23 March 2009
End Date 22 December 2009
Duration 9 months
Total Grant Value £26,976
Industrial Sectors No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Region Northern Ireland
Programme Physical Sciences
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor RW McCullough , Mathematics & Physics, Queen's University Belfast (99.999%)
  Other Investigator Dr CA Hunniford , Mathematics & Physics, Queen's University Belfast (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , University of Tokyo, Japan (0.000%)
Project Contact , Aarhus University, Denmark (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives Linked to grant EP/G068968/1
Abstract The cross section for electron removal or ionization of the simplest atom (hydrogen or its isotope deuterium), by antiprotons, is of currently of considerable interest. This is the simplest collision system for testing theory with only one active electron and, since the antiproton cannot capture an electron, the detection of a hydrogen ion in coincidence with an antiproton after the collision process is a signature of the ionization process. The antiproton hydrogen collision system is therefore an ideal system against which to test our theoretical understanding of the few-body Coulomb physics involved in ionization.Ionization is an important process in astrophysical and technological plasmas and in the dissociation of molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. Technological plasmas are increasingly used in industrial proceessing of materials, particularly to effect their surface properties and are widely used in the semiconductor industry. Energy from controlled plasma fusion of hydrogen isotopes presents us with the possibility of a 'clean' energy source to replace fossil fuels and to alleviate global warming resulting from carbon dioxide emissions from current generation power stations.Our understanding of the ionization mechanism in such a simple collision system should enable an important step forward in current theoretical models
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 02/09/09