Effects of the Solid Target on Electronic Excitations During Binary Atomic Collisions in the Interaction of Ne Ions with Al Surfaces

We report on measurements of the energy distribution of electrons emitted by Aluminum surfaces under the impact of low energy singly charged Neon ions, focusing on Auger decay of electronic excitations produced in both projectile and target atoms during binary atomic collisions. These excitations are well described by the Fano-Lichten molecular orbital promotion model adopted for gas-phase experiments, but the structural and electronic properties of the solid environment strongly influence the promotion process, resulting in Auger or photon emission that differs from the corresponding ones in gas targets. This work discusses the influence of solid target effects in studies of electronic energy loss and energy deposition by slow ions in solids.