The investigation of excitation and decay processes, such as electron and x-ray emission, which takes place when heavy ions collide with heavy ions at low MeV energies, will be continued. A previously unidentified mechanism is responsible for the prompt emission of 20-25 electrons in Kr-Kr and Kr-Xe Systems, ejected in about 10(-17) seconds, with a continuous energy distribution of the emitted electrons. It is planned to study this effect to determine its origin and generality, utilizing two techniques involving single collisions of projectiles scattered through large (one to twenty degree) angles. One experiment will determine ejected electron energies in coincidence with the scattered ion. The second experiment will measure both the scattered ion and the recoil ion charge states in coincidence, to determine how ionization is shared between the two ions. Results will be compared with data for lighter collision systems as well as ion-solid systems, to determined whether apparent common features in the electron emission spectra do have a common origin.
