Relaxation processes induced by radiative electronic transitions in preirradiated rare gas solids

Abstract Energy relaxation processes in films grown from pure Ar gas and O 2 –Ar mixtures preliminary irradiated by an electron beam were studied with a focus on the role of radiative electronic transitions in the relaxation cascades. A combination of luminescent spectroscopy methods (thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) including spectrally resolved TSL and cathodoluminescence) with thermally stimulated exoelectron emission technique was used. New additional data were obtained in a favor of the radiative mechanism of electronic relaxation processes––electron detrapping and transport followed by exoelectron emission and charge recombination. Correlation in the electron and in the low temperature desorption yields is clearly demonstrated. Suppression of the desorption from oxygen-containing films was found in contrast to the effect observed under excitation.