Balmer Hβ vs. Dβ line intensity in the collisions of H+, H2 +, H3 +, D+, D2 +, and D3 + ions with “realistic” metal surface at energies below 1 keV

The intensities of hydrogen H_β and deuterium D_β spectral lines of the Balmer series were measured as a function of collision energy when H⁺, H₂ ⁺, H₃ ⁺, D⁺, D₂ ⁺, and D₃ ⁺ ions impinged on Al, Ti, Cu, Mo, W, and Pb targets. The collision energies were kept in the 100–1000 eV range. The target surface was contaminated with hydrocarbons from the vacuum pumping system and possibly also by oxygen molecules due to limited vacuum conditions. At projectile velocities above 200 km/s the luminescence of backscattered deuterium atoms is about 30–50% weaker than that of hydrogen atoms.