Sputtered atom energy distribution versus the interatomic interaction law

The energy distribution of atoms sputtered by ion bombardment of a solid has been calculated. The theoretical consideration relies on solving a set of two transport equations by the discrete streams method. It has been shown that, when the energy of sputtered atoms is low, their energy distribution is described by a universal function with a single constant. Its value grows with ionic weight and decreases upon passage from Rutherford scattering to hard-sphere interaction.