SUBLINEAR EFFECT IN LIGHT-EMISSION FROM CESIUM IODIDE BOMBARDED BY KEV POLYATOMIC PROJECTILES

Our experiments examined light emission from a CsI target bombarded wi th polyatomic projectiles [Hn(+), (NaF)(n)Na+, with n = 1,2: Na+, Cs2I +, Cs+] at 5-30 keV impact energies. The light emission increases with primary ion velocity as (V - V-th)(alpha), where V-th is a velocity t hreshold. The number of photons emitted under one cluster impact incre ases with the number of atoms in the projectile, displaying a sublinea r effect, similar to that reported elsewhere for electron emission. Th e model of sweeping out electrons has been applied to explain and calc ulate the observed effect. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.