Nonlocal distribution of the recombination energy in spin-polarized atomic hydrogen

One of the important but little studied characteristics of spin-polarized hydrogen is the enormous energy release due to surface recombination into molecular H2. We have studied the relaxation and distribution of this energy throughout a sample. A phenomenological parameter, F, defined as the fraction of total recombination energy released locally at the point of recombination has been measured. Our upper bound of F<0.04 demonstrates that very little energy is directly coupled to the surface at this point