Dynamical Lie algebraic approach to rotationally inelastic scattering of molecules from surfaces Original Research Article

This paper describes a dynamical Lie algebraic method that we have developed in the application of the theory of Alhassid and Levine [Phys. Rev. A 18 (1978) 89] to rotationally inelastic molecule–surface scattering. Transition probabilities and their dependence on main dynamics variables of the collision system can be given analytically. An application of the method to direct rotationally inelastic scattering of NO molecules from a static, flat Ag(111) surface is made. Calculations performed for this model system yield snapshots of the probability current density and those of the rate of change of probability density that provide an insight into the intimate details of the scattering dynamics in time. The results show that this method is efficient and more useful to the inelastic scattering problems.