Statistical dynamics in rotationally inelastic gas-surface scattering: dynamical Lie algebraic method Original Research Article

A dynamical Lie algebraic approach to statistical dynamics of the rotationally inelastic gas-surface scattering is described. This method is applied to the study of the scattering of NO from Ag(1 1 1) surface. Statistical average values of some physical observables, such as the translational-to-rotational (T→R) energy transfer and the interaction potential, and their dependence on various dynamic variables of the system are given analytically. The calculations predict a strong dependence of the average energy transfer and average interaction potential on temperature and the incident translational energy. The results imply that the dynamical Lie algebraic method appears to have a wide range of validity for describing the statistical dynamics of gas-surface scattering.