The interaction of fast H 3 + ions with a clean Ni-surface

Scattering of H ₃ ⁺ ions from a clean Ni(111) surface is observed at energies below 1 keV and grazing incidence in a time-of-flight system. The interaction with the surface leads to neutral particles mainly which are identified from the energy distributions as H and H₂. The neutralisation/dissociation mechanism is probably a resonant charge transfer of Ni electrons into the non-binding ground state of H₃.