THE ROTATION-STARK MECHANISM OF CREATING LARGE-L RYDBERG STATES IN DOUBLE CHARGE-EXCHANGE

The rotation-Stark mechanism of creation of large-L Rydberg states is discussed in the framework of classical mechanics. These states arise after re-excitation of doubly excited states which are due to the double charge exchange from neutral atoms to highly multicharged ions with charge greater-than-or-equal-to 6 at keV energies. It is shown that the large-L states appear as a result of the evolution of the initially very eccentric orbits of the Rydberg electrons with the initial Runge-Lentz vector directed perpendicularly to the internuclear axis under the influence of the electric field of the residual ion. A simple distribution function of the orbital moments inside a given Rydberg multiplet is obtained.