Kinetics of atom rebounding in surface self-diffusion

Self-diffusion of tungsten atoms as well as the distribution of displacements has in the past been examined on the channeled W(211) plane. In addition to simple nearest-neighbor jumps and double transitions, rebound jumps, in which an atom jumps but returns immediately to its starting position, have been identified. The kinetics of rebounds have now been determined. Rebounds occur on W(211) at temperatures as low as 300 K, with an activation energy of 1.03 eV and a frequency prefactor of 1.40x10(16) s(-1); they have not been found in diffusion on W(110).