Calculation and measurement of the time-of-flight spread in a hemispherical electron energy analyzer

We have determined the transit time distribution of electrons passing a high resolution hemispherical energy analyzer. Comparison of our measured results with analytical expressions reveals that differing transit times between electrons of equal kinetic energy mainly build up on the Kepler-type orbits on which the electrons travel through the hemispheres. To facilitate the measurements, we have installed a position sensitive electron detector capable of single event detection into our spectrometer. This device is based on a delay-line anode. We briefly report on the energy resolution achieved in comparison with a slower readout system via a fluorescent screen. The transit time distribution is important in coincidence experiments, where electrons detected in the hemispherical analyzer are to be related to events in other detectors. We discuss the feasibility of electron-electron coincidence experiments using a hemispherical detector plus a time-of-flight drift tube for energy discrimination of an electron pair. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.