Determination of metastable fractions in noble-gas-ion beams

Abstract

Yields and kinetic energy distributions of secondary electrons emitted by potential emission due to impact of slow singly or multiply charged noble-gas ions on a clean polycrystalline tungsten target have been determined. An empirical relation for the secondary-electron yield of ground-state ions is applied to obtain the secondary-electron yield of corresponding metastably excited ions. By this technique metastable fractions of noble-gas-ion beams could be evaluated. Results for singly and doubly charged ions of Ar, Kr, and Xe, are presented.