Alignment effects in the interaction of H2+ molecules with thin foils

We use a simulation code to study the alignment of the proton fragments of a H-2(+) molecule after traversing thin foils. The simulation code follows in detail the motion of the molecular constituents from the entrance until the exit of the target, taking into account the following interactions by each projectile: (i) Coulomb repulsion, (ii) wake force, (iii) stopping force and (iv) elastic scattering with the target nuclei. We compare the results of our simulation with two different experimental situations where the aligning effects of the wake forces become evident. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.