X rays from quasimolecules

In slow heavy-ion—atom collisions, inner-shell electrons with velocities larger than the projectile velocity form diatomic molecular orbitals around the projectile and target nuclei. If a vacancy exists in one of these orbitals, it can decay at some point during collision, emitting an x ray characteristic of the molecular transition energy at that internuclear distance. Since the projectile-target internuclear distance varies during the collision, x-ray continua are seen, which for $1s\sigma$ molecular-orbital x rays (transitions to vacancies in the lowest $1s\sigma$ orbital) stretch toward the united-atom $K$-shell binding energy. This paper reviews the theory of and the experimental evidence for molecular-orbital x-ray emission. A historical overview of the development of these studies is given, showing how the theory of quasimolecular x-ray emission has evolved from a semiclassical quasistatic model to a general dynamic theory, including the Coriolis coupling between molecular orbitals making up the initial and final states. X-ray cross section, angular distribution, and other measurements are discussed, and their impact on the development of the theory of molecular-orbital x-ray emission is illustrated.