Ix. Physical Electronics and Surface Physics Academic Research Staff 3. Auger Electron Spectrometer for Determining the Chemical Composition of Surfaces at High Temperature

The general purpose of our research program is to study problems relating to the atomic, molecular, and electronic processes occurring at gas -solid interfaces. Examples of these processes are: thermionic emission, surface ionization, adsorption, absorption, oxidation, catalysis by metals, electrode processes in electrical discharges, and the scattering of molecular beams from solid surfaces. Such processes are encountered in thermionic energy converters, electron tubes, ion propulsion engines, lamps, highspeed flight, and high-temperature nuclear reactors. At present, we are concentrating on the following problems.