Near-threshold emission of electrons during grazing scattering of keV Ne atoms from an Al(111) surface

The number of electrons emitted during grazing scattering of Ne atoms with kilo-electron-volt energies from an Al(111) surface is recorded in coincidence with the energy loss of scattered projectiles. Irrespective of the total projectile energies used, we observe a pronounced increase of total electron emission yields when the energy for motion normal to the surface exceeds about 25 eV. Based on energy loss spectra and classical computer simulations of projectile trajectories we attribute electron emission under these scattering conditions to a promotion mechanism in binary collisions between Ne and Al target atoms resulting in single and double excitations of projectiles.