CHAOTIC MOTION AND THE ENERGETICS OF PREDESORPTION

In this paper classical non-linear Hamiltonian dynamics is used to det ermine both the predesorption rates and the asymptotic energy distribu tions of CO molecules desorbing from NaCl in a regime where the coupli ng to the phonon bath may be ignored. Attention is focused to the rota tional predesorption mechanism. The asymptotic energy distributions of CH3F desorbing from NaCl, owing to vibrational predesorption, are als o calculated. In both cases it is shown that when an intramolecular mo de is highly excited, the avel:age translational kinetic energy of out going molecules is unaffected by their other initial conditions.