Surface plasmon mediated hydrogenic ion neutralization at metallic surfaces

We obtain within the orthogonalized plane wave approximation surface-plasmo n mediated neutralization rates for hydrogenic ions and for several metalli c surfaces. The effects of the electronic density and of the work function of the surfaces are analyzed. The collective neutralization rates increase with density while the slope of the exponential curve for the rates increas es when the work function decreases. For charged (Z) hydrogenic ions we fou nd that these collective transitions are allowed only for states with n = Z .