Interaction of atoms with solid surfaces: Energy transfer in hyperthermal collisions of Li+ with W(110)

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Abstract
A recently developed many‐body approach to atom–polyatomic collisions at hyperthermal energies is applied to scattering of light ions by metal surfaces. Following a brief description of the scattering model, which can in principle describe surface diffraction, surface rainbows, and phonon excitation, we concentrate on energy transfer processes. Cross sections are related to atom–pair correlation functions of the target surface, which are expressed in terms of the normal vibrational modes of a solid slab. The correlation functions are calculated within a short‐time expansion which gives Gaussian distributions for energy transfer probabilities. A simple surface model of Einstein anisotropic oscillators is worked out in detail. Results of calculations for scattering of Li+ by W(110) at kinetic energies of several eV show good agreement with experimental values of most probable final energies and of distribution widths for several angles and initial ion energies.