DEUTERIUM SCATTERING FROM RH(11O) SURFACE

Thermal energy deuterium beam scattering (TEDS) from Rh(110) surface i s reported and compared to helium atom scattering (HAS). Unlike for He , we find quite strong D-2 off-specular diffraction. The D-2 diffracti on intensities are fairly isotropic along the [001] and [1 (1) over ba r 0], reflecting the presence of a finite dissociation barrier in the potential energy surface (PES) rather than the anisotropic corrugation of the relevant Rh(110) surface electron density. Inelastic D-2 scatt ering with strong J=0-->2 kinetic-to-rotational energy conversion is a lso presented and discussed. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.