Field Ion Microscopical Observation of a Transient Stage of Adsorption in the Pt–H2–Ne System

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Abstract
A new experimental technique for the direct observation of initial stages of gas–surface interactions using a field ion microscope is described. Experiments with hydrogen on platinum indicate that at 21°K the adsorbate first assumes a metastable state and then a stable adsorption state. The observed transition probabilities from the metastable state to the stable state are 0.15/msec for adsorbed hydrogen around the {134} planes, and 0.28/msec around the {012} planes. Neon adsorbed on platinum at 21°K reduces the platinum–hydrogen interaction.