Adsorbate phase transformations and the coverage-dependent oscillation of electron transfer probabilities

We report a study of the effects of chlorine adsorption on the interaction of positive ions (H+, Ne+, Ar+ with a Ag(111) surface from the submonolayer Cl chemisorption to initial stages of AgCl formation. Cl adsorption on Ag(111) proceeds through different phases and we observed that the neutralization probabilities oscillate in this range, attaining an intermediate minimum at about 2/3 coverage and reach a maximum at full coverage. The subsequent appearance of AgCl phase again leads to a reduction in neutralization. These results are described in terms of changes in Auger neutralization rates due to modifications in the adsorbate density of states. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)71330-4]