THE ROLE OF INTERNAL ENERGY AND APPROACH GEOMETRY IN MOLECULE/SURFACE REACTIVE SCATTERING

The detailed mechanisms of many surface reactions are manifest through dynamical studies on well defined systems. In particular, the initial electronic, vibrational, and rotational energies, as well as the molecule's orientation and point of impact at the surface, are important in determining whether a molecule will react upon collision with a surface. These effects are delineated through state-resolved experiments involving various combinations of molecular beam, ion-beam, electrostatic field, laser excitation, and angle-resolved detection techniques. In conjunction with theoretical models, comprehensive surface-scattering experiments reveal the atomic motion that reactants undergo as they transform into scattered or adsorbed products.