STICKING AND DESORPTION - A REVIEW

A systematic description of the adsorption dynamics as seen in different adsorption experiments is presented. A hierarchy of adsorption experiments is described, starting with molecular beam techniques involving a large number of variables as particle energy, angle of incidence and quantum state of the impinging molecule. The classification continues through adsorption of Maxwellian beams experiments with isotropic gas supply to equilibrium investigations. The application of the principle of detailed balancing is used to relate a particular adsorption experiment to a corresponding desorption experiment. A specific adsorption/desorption dynamics observed in the experiments is brought in relation to specific microscopic processes on the surface.