Effects of target plasma electron-electron collisions on correlated motion of fragmented H2+ protons

The objective of the present work is to examined the effects of plasma target electron-electron collisions on H-2(+) protons traversing it. Specifically, the target is deuterium in a plasma state with temperature T-e=10 eV and density n=10(23) cm(-3), and proton velocities are v(p)=v(th), v(p)=2v(th), and v(p)=3v(th), where v(th) is the electron thermal velocity of the target plasma. Proton interactions with plasma electrons are treated by means of the dielectric formalism. The interactions among close protons through plasma electronic medium are called vicinage forces. It is checked that these forces always screen the Coulomb explosions of the two fragmented protons from the same H-2(+) ion decreasing their relative distance. They also align the interproton vector along the motion direction, and increase the energy loss of the two protons at early dwell times while for longer times the energy loss tends to the value of two isolated protons. Nevertheless, vicinage forces and effects are modified by the target electron collisions. These collisions enhance the calculated self-stopping and vicinage forces over the collisionless results. Regarding proton correlated motion, when these collisions are included, the interproton vector along the motion direction overaligns at slower proton velocities (v(p)=v(th)) and misaligns for faster ones (v(p)=2v(th), v(p)=3v(th)). They also contribute to a great extend to increase the energy loss of the fragmented H-2(+) ion. This later effect is more significant in reducing projectile velocity.