DOUBLY AND TRIPLY EXCITED AUTOIONIZING STATES STUDIED BY TWO ELECTRON
CAPTURE PROCESSES USING HIGHLY CHARGED IONS


R. Bruch*, H. Merabet*, S. Bliman&, M. Cornille&, A. Siems*, D. Schneider#


*Department of Physics, University of Nevada Reno, Reno NV 89557 USA
& Department de Physique, Universiti de Marne la Vallie, 93l66 Noisy
LeGrand, France
#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, EBIT Facility, Livermore, CA
94550 USA



We present a detailed analysis of high resolution Ne8+ + He Auger electron
spectra at 80 keV impact energy.  Numerous new transitions originating
from doubly (1,3L) and triply excited Be-like states have been idendified.
This analysis is supported by extensive theoretical calculations.  A new
feature is the observation of singlet and triplet states in the Auger and
radiative decay channels. The formation and decay paths of such Be-like
Ne6+ states populated in double electron transfer processes is of
importance for the basis understanding of the collision dynamics and for
charge exchange based diagnostics.