[en] The velocity distribution function of titanium neutrals in the target region of a high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge was investigated by optical emission spectroscopy. A high-resolution plane grating spectrograph combined with a fast, gated, intensified CCD camera was used to study the shape of selected optical emission lines. Doppler broadening and shift were analyzed to gain information about the velocity distribution of sputtered titanium neutrals. The velocity distribution function was found to depend on the discharge power for target power densities up to 0.6 kW cm⁻². Above that value, the velocity distribution was constant. The collision processes of sputtered neutrals close to the target were found to be describable using a modified version of the Krook collisional operator. Using this interpretation, evidence for strong scattering of the titanium neutrals in the target region was found. This scattering can be explained by resonant charge exchange with previously scattered titanium ions. (paper)