Energy Transfer in Solid Argon during Ion Bombardment

Solid argon is a model system for studies of radiative and nonradiative processes associated with electronic excitation by MeV light ion bombardment. The electronic excited states, excitons and excimers, have been extensively studied in this material and careful studies have also been made of the ejection (sputtering) of atoms from the surface. The sputtering requires transfer of energy from electronic excitation to kinetic energy of atomic motion. Ultraviolet luminescence spectra show a rich structure including features due to molecules ejected while still in an electronically excited state. The luminescence and sputtering results can be described together in terms of exciton formation, diffusion and decay.