Near-threshold emission of electrons during grazing scattering of keV Ne atoms from an Al(111) surface

Abstract

The number of electrons emitted during grazing scattering of Ne atoms with kilo-electron-volt energies from an Al(111) surface is recorded in coincidence with the energy loss of scattered projectiles. Irrespective of the total projectile energies used, we observe a pronounced increase of total electron emission yields when the energy for motion normal to the surface exceeds about $25\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$. Based on energy loss spectra and classical computer simulations of projectile trajectories we attribute electron emission under these scattering conditions to a promotion mechanism in binary collisions between Ne and Al target atoms resulting in single and double excitations of projectiles.