The charge transfer of slow H atoms colliding with an Al(100) surface is studied by means of a linear combination of atomic orbitals method with local-density many-body contributions. The method is developed in order to calculate atomic levels and associated linewidths. Unlike previous theories, the present method is able to study the effect of the corrugation of the surface, together with the self-consistent potentials involved. This leads to a shift of atomic levels nonlinear on the external charge, contrary to the traditionally assumed image shift. The method works best at very short distances, where the strong coupling between atom and surface promotes molecular orbitals. Thus, the theory expounded in this work can describe the charge-transfer processes of systems in which the atomic levels are near the band edges, as protons scattered off aluminum. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

• Received 30 May 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.54.10959