Generation of low energy resonant electrons during relaxation of 57Fe

Collection of low energy electrons (< 15 eV) during Conversion Electron Moessbauer Spectroscopy (CEMS) provides enhanced surface sensitivity. Spectra collected from a 0.928 57Fe foil using retarding field energy analyzers in conjunction with spiraltron electron multipliers demonstrates both resonant and nonresonant count rates which decrease by as much as 50% at 10 eV bias potential. Spectra from samples with the topmost 1.0 nm chemically labeled had total spectral areas of 99.0% mm/sec. The area ratio of the resonant 1.0 nm overlayer to the resonant substrate was 1.43 at 0 eV bias potential while at 15 eV the ratio decreased to 0.72. By vacuum evaporating a 5.0 nm copper coating on the sample, near complete attenuation of the low energy electrons from the 1.0 nm overlayer was achieved. These results suggest that some low energy electrons below 15 eV are formed as primary products of electronic relaxation following nuclear decay and that they are not the result of straggling or other scattering phenomena. (orig.)