The scattering of low-energy atomic and molecular ions from solid surfaces

The scattering of low-energy inert gas and molecular ions from a solid surface is well characterised. The scattering of low-energy hydrogen ions is not as well characterised, primarily because of the differing neutralisation behavior evident from the substantial flux of hydrogen ions which are scattered from below the surface and emerge in an ionised (+ve or -ve) state. The scattering of molecular ions of hydrogen from a surface introduces a further complexity because of the energy distribution at break-up and the possibility of survival of some molecular ions in collisions which involve net energy transfers many times the dissociation energy. (author)