Transient trapping desorption of molecules at surfaces
Scattering studies of hyperthermal O2, from Ag(111) for a backscattering geometry are reported. Three different scattering paths are observed: physisorption followed by desorption, direct-inelastic scattering, and transient trapping desorption. The latter process is attributed to transient adsorption of the molecule in an O2d- state at the surface without equilibration of the vibrational degree of freedom. The molecule desorbs with hyperthermal energy.
