Scattering of monoenergetic argon beams from heated platinum: Out-of-plane time-of-flight measurements

Time-of-flight measurements were made in and out of the plane of incidence, with initially monoenergetic argon beams (speed 5.75 × 10⁴ cm/sec.; incident angle 55° from target normal) before and after reflection from heated platinum. The data were used to compute low order moments of velocity distribution : relative number flux, momentum and energy flux. Flux ratios yield mean speed, mean energy and speed distribution as functions of angle of reflection. The data are consistent with the hypotheses that the tangentical component of momentum of the incident beam is nearly preserved on collision and that dispersion out of the plane of incidence is caused by surface roughness.