Features of silica luminescence induced by molecular hydrogen ions

Silica luminescence induced by H2+ and H1+ (420 keV and 210 keV) ions was studied in visible wavelength range. The differences in ionoluminescence spectra measured for molecular and atomic projectiles with the same ratio of energy per a.m.u. were obtained, i.e. so-called “molecular effect” was found. In the molecular ion case the more effective generation of light radiation in the band with maximum near 646 nm can be connected with correlated motion of diatomic molecule fragments in the solid. It was experimentally found that silica luminescence spectra induced by molecular or atomic ions evolved in different ways with the absorption dose growth. The dose characteristics for both ion species were obtained which can be used as a detection principle for particle flux monitoring.