Eur. Phys. J. D 1, 297-302 (1998)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530050096

Cluster ion emission in the interaction of slow highly charged ions with surfaces

University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore, CA 94551, USA

Corresponding author: ^a hamza1@llnl.gov

Received: 22 April 1997
Revised: 29 December 1997
Accepted: 19 January 1998
Published online: 15 March 1998

Abstract

Cluster ion emission from a variety of surfaces upon impact of highly charged ions is investigated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The yield of cluster ions as a function of cluster size for and surface follow a power law decline with exponent approaching the -2 limit of the "equilibrium" and "shock wave" cluster emission models. While the decline of the cluster ion emission with cluster size is an exponential decay for highly oriented pyrolytic graphite upon impact, the decline is more gradual than for impact, such that at the relative cluster yield is 1000 times higher.