Electronic excitation and desorption processes in solids under charged particle bombardment

A review is given of several aspects of charged particle energy losses in condensed matter. Emphasis is placed on the spatial distribution of energy deposition near the surface. The influence of collective bulk and surface modes on absorption processes is sketched. Comparison of coherent energy deposition in the infratrack and delta-ray energy deposition in the ultratrack is made. Theories of surface desorption of atoms and small molecules by ionizing radiation and the use of multi-hit and multi-target theory in the analysis of large biomolecule desorption are discussed.