Separation of kinetic and potential electron emission arising from slow multicharged ion-surface interactions

Characteristic variations in the total electron yield {γ} as a function of crystal azimuthal orientation are reported for slow N²⁺, N⁵⁺, and N⁶⁺ ions incident on a AU(011) single crystal. These variations allow the direct separation of kinetic and potential electron emission, and allow, for the first time, an analysis of the neutralization dynamics of multicharged ions interacting with a metal surface, above the kinetic emission threshold. Electron emission resulting from below-surface Auger transitions is shown to be the dominant potential emission mechanism.