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 F0.04 demonstrates that very little energy is directly coupled to the surface at this point.