  We present a combined theoretical and experimental study of primary and
post-collision mechanisms involved when colliding low energy multiply charged
ions with van der Waals dimers. The collision dynamics is investigated using a
classical calculation based on the Coulombic Over-the- Barrier Model adapted to
rare-gas dimer targets. Despite its simplicity, the model predictions are found
in very good agreement with experimental results obtained using COLd Target
Recoil Ion Momentum Spectroscopy (COLTRIMS), both for the relative yields of
the different relaxation processes and for the associated transverse momentum
exchange distributions between the projectile and the target. This agreement
shows to which extent van der Waals dimers can be assimilated to independent
atoms.
