The interaction of highly-charged ions with surfaces involves many excitation processes of the surface atoms and the bulk material. One such process, the emission of electrons from surfaces due to the potential energy of the incident ions has been studied. The experimental results presented here confirm that the majority of electrons emitted as a result of highly-charged ions interacting with a solid surface have energies of about 20 eV. Auger processes contribute a smaller fraction of the total emitted electrons with increasing Z of the projectile. This contribution to the total electron emission yield is found to be less than 5% for Ne{sup 9+} and less than 1% for Ar{sup 18+}. For Z≥ 54, no Auger electrons were detected. The early indications that the total number of emitted low energy electrons increases linearly with charge have been demonstrated not to hold for q ≥ 18.

This book collects the papers presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Ionization of Solids by Heavy Particles", held in Giardini-Naxos (Taormina), Italy, on June 1 -5, 1992. The meeting was the first to gather scientists to discuss the physics of electron emission and other ionization effects occurring during the interaction of heavy particles with condensed matter. The central problem in the field is how to use observations of electron emission and final radiation damage to understand what happens inside the solid, like excitation mechanisms, the propagation of the electronic excitation along different pathways, and surface effects. The ARW began with a brief survey of the field, stressing the unknowns. It was pointed out that ionization theories can only address the very particular case of weak perturbations. For this problem, this meant high speed, low-charged projectiles (a perturbation treatment of interactions with slow, highly charged ions was later presented). Only semi-empirical models exist for velocities lower than the Fermi velocity in the solid, which can be used to predict kinetic electron emission yields. These models, however, do not address the basic questions about the mechanisms for electron excitation, transport and escape through the surface layer.

The emission of electrons from solid surfaces bombarded by slow neutral and ionized heavy particles (atoms, molecules) is reviewed both theoretically and in the light of recent experimental studies by leading groups in the field. The book integrates physics of ion beams, surfaces and chemical physics, and serves both as a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students.

The emission of electrons from solid surfaces bombarded by slow neutral and ionized heavy particles (atoms, molecules) is reviewed both theoretically and in the light of recent experimental studies by leading groups in the field. The book integrates physics of ion beams, surfaces and chemical physics, and serves both as a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students.

Electron emission is a fundamental phenomenon which accompanies most interactions of energetic particles with solid surfaces. Not only is it a special effect which for almost ninety years has attracted the interest of physicists, but it is also of acute importance in such fields as radiation effects and transport phenomena in solids (e.g., radiation biology), plasma-surface interactions, microtechnology, surface analysis, ion microscopies, particle detector development and others. While Volume I emphasizes the theoretical description of the mechanisms of electron emission, this volume reviews modern experimental trends and aspects of the phenomenon, e.g., kinetic electron emission from massive solids and from thin foils under bombardment with positive, negative, and neutral particles, and the measurement of electron statistics in connection with potential and kinetic emission due to slow singly and multiply charged projectiles.

Electronic sputtering in the interaction of slow (v

Comprehensive guide to an important materials science technique for students and researchers.