Dynamics of NO Molecular-Beam Scattering from a Ge Surface

Abstract

Translational and rotational energy distributions of NO molecules scattered from an oxidized Ge surface were determined by means of laser two-photon ionization and time-of-flight techniques. Trapping-desorption and direct inelastic-scattering channels are clearly separated in state-resolved measurements: The former shows a mean kinetic energy $〈{E}_{f,{J}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}}〉$ corresponding to the surface temperature, while the latter exhibits "rainbow" features and a $〈{E}_{f,{J}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}}〉$ which is, for high-${J}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$ states, much larger than expected from pure translational to rotational energy conversion.