Cross sections for emission of Rydberg transitions in collisions of Ar9+ ions with He, Ne, and Ar atoms have been measured at an impact energy of 180 keV. Transitions from levels n=6,...,11 and l=5,...,9 following multielectron capture and cascading processes have been observed in fast Ar7+, Ar6+, Ar5+, and Ar4+ ions. Emission of recoil ions, attributed to transitions in Heii, Ne iiiv, and Ariiiv give an additional proof of the capture of several electrons by the projectile. Doubly excited Rydberg states, also observed in Arviii, are due to a multicapture process. Cross sections for multicapture with stabilization of two electrons in Rydberg states are compared to those determined by coincidence measurements. © 1990 The American Physical Society.