Charge equilibration pathways following C6+-Ar collisions

By means of electron spectroscopy we have studied the charge equilibration pathways following C6+-Ar collisions. Partial electron spectra have been determined in coincidence with the charge state of the resulting Ar ion. The electron spectra obtained in coincidence with Ar2+ and Ar3+ target ions show evidence for target excitation. The electron spectra in coincidence with Ar3+, Ar4+, Ar5+ target ions show that in all three cases the energies of autoionization electrons lie in the same range. The starting levels of the decay pathways compare well with the predictions of the overbarrier model. Moreover, it is shown that, regardless of the number of electrons initially captured by the C6+ ion, the charge state of the carbon ion is eventually only reduced to four or five.