Stopping Power of Matter for Ions

Graphs, Data, Comments and Programs

Last update: 15 Dec 2015 (see Updates)

This site was created by Prof. Helmut Paul (1929-2015). Since 1990, he had been collecting data on stopping powers for light ions, while his colleagues at the University of Linz measured them. He plotted the data versus energy/nucleon, compared them to each other and to the theoretical or semi-empirical curves available in the literature. Together with A. Schinner, he produced a program MSTAR that predicts the stopping powers for ions from ₃Li to ₁₈Ar (most recent version 3.12 of 2004). Their program JUDGE was used to compare stopping tables and experimental data in a statistical manner (see, e.g., papers here).

In recent years, the collection has been enlarged to include all ions. It treats the electronic stopping power (we assume that “nuclear” stopping has been subtracted, but that need not always be true). It considers ordinary cold matter, not the plasma state. It considers gases and amorphous or polycrystalline solids, elements and compounds.

Graphs are only shown where at least two or three data files are available for the particular ion and target, but all available experimental data are given in the data collection. You are welcome to look at the plots, to use the data collection and to use program MSTAR. Although the collection is large, it is probably not complete.

Since 2009, tables of Optical Oscillator Strengths have been listed for several elements, see here.

In 2015, the collection was taken over by the Nuclear Data Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Dr Claudia Montanari, from the Institute of Astronomy and Space Physics (CONICET and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina), is collaborating with the IAEA on the updating of the database.

Sadly, Helmut passed away on 21 December 2015. He will be dearly missed, but he will always be remembered through his legacy: the stopping power database. A personal account of life as a physicist by Helmut Paul can be found here.

Please send your questions, comments and suggestions regarding...

...methods, graphs and data to:
Dr Claudia Montanari / University of Buenos Aires
Email: mclaudia@iafe.uba.ar

...this site to:
International Atomic Energy Agency / Nuclear Data Section
Email: nds.contact-point@iaea.org