Electronic bath approach to thermal effects in ion-surface scattering

McDowell's 1985 electronic bath theory of charge transfer is used to invest igate the effect of varying surface temperature on the process of ion scatt ering from a solid surface. As a specific example, the system of Na+ scatte red from W is modeled. The neutralization probability is found to have a si gnificant temperature dependence only if the ion orbital energy is fairly c lose (within 1 eV) to the Fermi level, at closest approach. As well, the te mperature effect is greatest when the ion's incident energy is small (on th e order of a few eV). (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(0 0)70305-9].