Forward-angle electron spectroscopy in heavy-ion atom collisions studied at the ESR

The collision system U⁸⁸⁺ + N₂ at a low-relativistic projectile energy of 90 MeV/u has been analyzed experimentally and theoretically with respect to fast electrons emitted with a velocity v_e close to the projectile velocity, v_p ≈ v_e, at an observation angle of ϑ_e ≈ 0°, i.e., in the direction of the projectile beam. Three distinct processes are identified, where each of the underlying charge-transfer mechanisms leads to a characteristic feature in the asymmetry of the observed electron energy distribution. The experimental results for each of the three processes are compared to the corresponding theoretical models.