Laser Investigations of the Dynamics of Molecule-Surface Interaction

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Abstract
The internal energy distribution of NO molecules scattered from different solid surfaces (Pt(111), graphite, and Pt(111) covered with various adlayers) was investigated by the laser-induced fluorescence method. In the case of the NO/graphite system, moreover, the velocity distribution of the scattered molecules could be measured in a time-offlight experiment. The rotational energy distribution, which can always be described as a Boltzmann distribution, exhibits only partial accommodation to the surface temperature for all surfaces investigated. The measurements of the velocity of the NO molecules scattered from the graphite surface show only a small influence of the surface temperature on the average velocity and on the velocity distribution. Furthermore, the measured velocity distribution is independent of the final rotational state of the scattered molecules. On the basis of these results, a rather complete description of the behavior of the NO molecules during the scattering process can be presented.