Projectile electron loss in collisions of light charged ions with helium

We investigate the single-electron loss processes of light charged ions (Li^1+,2+, C^2+,3+,5+, and O^2+,3+) in collisions with helium. To better understand the experimental results, we propose a theoretical model to calculate the cross section of projectile electron loss. In this model, an ionization radius of the incident ion was defined under the classical over-barrier model, and we developed “strings” to explain the processes of projectile electron loss, which is similar with the molecular over-barrier model. Theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental results for the cross section of single-electron loss and the ratio of double-to-single ionization of helium associated with one-electron loss.