Abstract. A modified two-centre atomic orbital expansion is used in an investigation of electron capture in collisions of H⁺ and He²⁺ ions with Li atoms. The calculated total and partial transfer cross sections constitute the first published origin-independent results in the energy range 0.5-20 keV for H⁺+Li and in the range 0.1-2.0 keV amu^-1 for He²⁺+Li collisions. Total capture cross sections agree well with experimental data wherever the measurements have led to a consistent picture among themselves. For He²⁺+Li collisions, low-energy capture cross sections are predicted to be much larger than is indicated by results from two-state molecular orbital calculations without translational factors.

Print publication: Issue 9 (14 May 1983)