Abstract: Experimental and theoretical investigations of the nuclear and electronic energy loss of energetic charged particles in polycrystalline metallic targets are presented.
Besides the process of slowing-down of projectiles itself, measurements of their actions on polycrystalline metallic targets induced by energy losses of swift ions are discussed. In particular:
- sputtering and target lifetimes influenced by the nuclear energy loss of heavy ions of (0.1 – 0.5) MeV/u,
- the scattering of such ions at large and small angles,
- range and range straggling of swift radioactive heavy ions in metal targets, and
- the temperature-behaviour caused by heat generation of the electronic energy loss of swift heavy ions in thin targets.
Precise energy-loss measurements with 1.2 MeV/u and (700–1000) MeV/u heavy ions and with different targets are reported.
Special investigations of the electronic energy loss of particles ( 1 MeV/u) and Bi ions ( 250 MeV/u) in ferromagnetic metal targets at temperatures below and above the ferromagnetic Curie temperature are treated in a larger extent.
After subtraction of trivial effects like thermal expansion and magneto-contraction, we show that the measured energy loss of swift ions in ferromagnetic targets is smaller below the Curie temperature than above it.
Finally, we report on the experimentally observed strong indications that the energy loss of relativistic heavy ions in a gadolinium target above the Curie temperature increases with rising temperature in well-defined discrete steps.