Application of the Debye-Waller Theory to Atomic and Molecular Scattering from Solid Surfaces

Abstract

The Debye‐Waller theory is applied to atomic helium scattering from various solid surfaces. The theory agrees well with all experimental data currently available with which comparisons may be made, namely, helium scattering from silver, platinum, tungsten, and tungsten carbide surfaces. Qualitative agreement is obtained between the surface Debye temperature of the materials cited above found from the helium scattering data and deduced from LEED measurements. Alternatively, if the surface Debye temperature obtained from LEED data is used in conjunction with the Debye‐Waller theory for atomic scattering, the interaction energy between helium and the solid surfaces may be calculated. Very reasonable values of this interaction energy are obtained in this way. The theory is also applied to the interaction of molecular hydrogen and a silver surface, and a gas‐surface potential well depth of ∼500 cal/mol is calculated.