Electronically stimulated sputtering and luminescence from solid argon.

Electronic excitation of condensed-gas solids by MeV light ions results both in luminescence and in kinetic ejection of atoms and molecules from the surface of the solid. This work reveals that particle ejection from electronically excited solid argon films arises from two non-radiative steps in the deexcitation decay sequence which contains the major radiative transition. A hole diffusion model with nonradiative quenching at the metal substate on which the films are grown accounts for the dependence of the sputtering and luminescence on film thickness and gives an estimate of 230angstroms for the hole diffusion length.