Surface-limited release of deuterium from iron and the effect of surface oxygen

The surface-limited release of deuterium from solution in polycrystalline iron was measured in ultrahigh vacuum using nuclear reaction analysis and ion implantation with surface characterization by Auger electron spectroscopy. For a bare iron surface the magnitude and temperature dependence of the release rate are quantitatively predicted by a model in which the rate limiting step is the recombination and desorption of deuterium chemisorbed on the surface. The release rate decreased approximately linearly with oxygen coverage up to a cutoff at about 0.4 monolayer