Search

Molecular beams have been used to search for evidence for a weakly bound molecular precursor in (the interaction of O[SUB2] with Al(111). The experiments are consistent with a precursor whose binding energy is smaller than 0.1 eV. The total reflectivity as a function of incidence angle shows a pronounced dip at 25° for E[SUBtrans] between 90 and 300 meV. This feature corroborates an earlier observation by &Oml;sterlund et al. in sticking measurements. Modeling using a reduced dimensionality potential energy surface shows a similar behavior which is caused by steering into a shallow molecular adsorption well located at the same site in the unit cell as the maximum in the barrier towards dissociative adsorption. This effect is not observed if the molecular adsorption well is located at the same site as the minimum energy pathway to dissociative adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments, for the electron stimulated desorption of CO molecules from Ru(0001) [Wurm et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2591 (1995)] are rationalized with the help of quantum wave packet methods using a bimodal two-state model. Besides a vibrational population inversion for the desorbing molecule we also find a small amount of dissociation, and an experimentally observed positive correlation between vibrational state and kinetic energy of the desorbing molecules. The role of vibrational excitation of the initial state is discussed. Classical trajectory calculations are found to be in good agreement with quantum dynamics thus allowing for a systematic exploration of the sensitivity of the results on details of the potential energy surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-dimensional, two-state model is used to model the UV-laser-induced photodesorption dynamics of NH3 and ND3 from Cu(111) by solving the nuclear time-dependent Schrödinger equation. By projecting the asymptotic wave functions on the asymptotic (‘‘umbrella’’) eigenstates of NH3/ND3, we find that the molecules leave the surface vibrationally hot, in agreement with experimental data. Within individual asymptotic tunneling doublets, however, the desorbates are clearly non-Boltzmann with molecules of ‘‘gerade’’ symmetry desorbing with increased probability. Our study correlates this parity selection with details of the electronic ground state potential energy surface. An experimentally observed strong isotope effect in the desorption yields for the different isotopomers is traced back mainly to differences between the vibrational frequencies of the ‘‘umbrella’’ mode, in accord with earlier, classical models. Additionally, small tunneling and moderate zero-point contributions are observed. Finally, the possibility of bond and isotope selective photochemistry at surfaces, based on a two-photon IR+UV strategy is demonstrated. © 1995 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of activated associative desorption is discussed with particular reference to the system H2–Cu and to the partitioning of the energy released among the various product degrees of freedom. It is argued that a simple theory based on transition-state concepts should hold for this system because the potential energy surface (PES) divides naturally into reactant and product regions, separated by a ‘‘seam’’ or ‘‘ridge’’ at which it is reasonable to assume a thermal distribution of desorbing trajectories. Using a PES constructed in accordance with available electronic structure calculations we consider the angular distributions and translational, vibrational, and rotational energy distributions of the desorbing molecules. It is shown that, whereas the rotational energy reflects the surface temperature, the vibrational energy is markedly enhanced because the energetically low-lying regions of the ridge in the PES correspond to an H–H bond distance that is distended as compared with the gas-phase equilibrium separation. The enhancement is found to be a strong function of the surface temperature. The translational energy, however, is found to be only very weakly dependent on the temperature. These results are discussed in connection with available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantum wave packet calculation for the activated dissociative adsorption of H2 is presented. Restricting the motion of the molecule to lie within a plane normal to the surface we have treated all four molecular degrees of freedom exactly. We compare results obtained using two-, three-, and four-dimensional simulations on the same potential and show that by restricting the molecular orientation, important dynamical effects are lost. The potential employed in the calculations has been obtained using the effective medium approximation. In the simulations it has been possible to treat dissociation, rotations and diffraction on an equal footing. By including a rotational degree of freedom, it is seen that strong orientational effects occur near to the transition state and result in an anisotropic selectivity in the dissociation. By examining the state-to-state scattering probabilities, it is possible to use the nonreacting (scattered) fraction to provide information on the reactive potential energy surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]