Formation of negative hydrogen ions on a coadsorbed layer of cesium and hydrogen on W(110)

Negative ion formation on a W(110) surface which is covered with a coadsorbed layer of cesium and hydrogen is studied by scattering a proton beam from such a surface. The primary energy is 400 eV. The angle of incidence is 700 with respect to the surface normal. The hydrogen exposure ranges from 0 to 3000 L. The negative ion formation probability on a surface with 0.6 times the saturation cesium coverage is reduced by a factor of 4 by a hydrogen exposure of 3000 L. At small coverage the reduction is found to be proportional to the number of adsorbed hydrogen atoms. The formation probability on a surface which is covered with a thick cesium layer is hardly affected by a similar exposure. These phenomena are attributed to resonant electron transfer between a negative ion and an adsorbed hydrogen atom