Kinetic-energy-driven enhancement of secondary-electron yields of highly charged ions impinging on thin films of C-60 on Au

The secondary electron yields as a result of slow highly charged ions (Ar4+, Ar13+) impinging on clean Au(111), highly oriented pyrolitic graphite, and thin films of C-60 on Au are presented. In order to investigate the dynamics of the neutralization of the highly charged ions in front of the surface, angular scans have been performed. The results give a clear indication that the observed increase in electron yield seen on C-60 compared to Au stems from kinetic-energy-driven processes and not from processes driven by the potential energy carried by the highly charged ion. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.86.06290