SURFACE-STATE HYDROGEN MASER

We describe a hydrogen maser operating at very low temperatures in whi ch most of the hydrogen atoms are condensed on a superfluid helium sur face in long-lived states. This proposed maser can be used to obtain i nformation on the properties of the hydrogen-liquid-helium-surface sys tem. In addition, it promises to be an interesting system from the poi nt of view of nonlinear dynamics. It is found that the surface recombi nation to molecular hydrogen, which might be considered as undesirable , is actually necessary to achieve the masing conditions. We develop t he maser equations and consider a number of realistic conditions for o peration.