Ec. Samano et We. Carr, HYDROGEN-ATOM DETECTION BY H(-) CONVERSION, Journal of vacuum science & technology. A. Vacuum, surfaces, and films, 11(5), 1993, pp. 2700-2706
Surface ionization on a commercially available barium oxide converter
has been used to find the total beam intensity in the forward directio
n of hyperthermal hydrogen atoms dissociated by an arc discharge. The
H- ions are selected by a mass spectrometer and measured by a Faraday
cup in a high vacuum system. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to calcu
late the H- yield of low-energy atoms perpendicularly reflected from t
he converter as a model for atom-surface ionization. A beam intensity
of approximately 4 X 10(17) atoms/sr s is found by means of the calcul
ated H- yield and the measured H- current. The results of this experim
ent are compared with the characterization of the same atom beam achie
ved by other methods and similar atom beams published in recent litera
ture.