Detection of the plasmon photoeffect of alkali metals in photoelectron energy distribution curves

A new explanation is proposed for the experimental results obtained from measuring photoelectron energy distributions in alkali metals. The explanation is based on the idea of the plasmon photoeffect. The plasmon photoeffect consists of the excitation of plasmons by light in a solid, and the decay of the plasmons in turn excites the electrons. In a vacuum these photoelectrons form groups of electrons with different energies. The plasmon photoeffect provides a significantly better explanation of the structure of the experimental data than the usual photoeffect.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 82–87, October, 1973.