High energy atomic physics of astrophysical relevance Original Research Article

The rapid progress in acceleration techniques, notably those of accelerating ions of any desired charge to relativistic energies and of storing them in cooling rings, has brought within the experimental reach a number of atomic processes at high (relativistic) energies. Several of these are of direct astrophysical relevance. This concerns phenomena at extreme energy densities and at extreme electromagnetic fields as well as the dynamics of interaction of relativistic ions with electrons, atoms and intense laser beams. A review of these processes is given, separately for the heavy and for the light ions. The astrophysical interest of this information is indicated whenever applicable.