Rotationally inelastic scattering of N2 from clean and hydrogen covered Pd(111)

Abstract

Quantum‐resolved molecular beam–surface scattering from clean and hydrogen covered Pd(111) is shown to be a sensitive dynamical probe of changes in the gas–surface interaction potential brought about by the presence of chemisorbed surface hydrogen. In particular, the specular scattering of N₂ from hydrogen covered Pd(111) is appreciably less inelastic rotationally than scattering from the clean surface. The specularly scattered rotationally elastic channel is utilized as a nonperturbative probe of the surface chemisorbed hydrogen coverage during a temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiment.