Rotational Cooling and Vibrational Heating in Associative Desorption

Abstract

Internal state distribution of hydrogen molecules interacting with metal surfaces is calculated with the use of the coupled channel method on the basis of the concept of a reaction path. Coupling between vibrational, rotational and translational degrees of freedom of the molecules is taken into account. Rotational cooling and vibrational heating in the associative desorption process are explained together with vibrationally assisted sticking in the dissociative adsorption process