Dynamics of the photoinduced desorption of nitric oxide molecules from the surface of pure and modified platinum

Abstract

The distribution of NO molecules desorbed from a Pt(111) surface due to valence electron excitation over rotational energy levels N(J) is analyzed using a simple impulse-induced model. A linear dependence is found between lnN(J) and (E _r )^1/2, where E _r is the rotational energy of the desorbed molecules. The lifetime of the excited state and the critical time of residence in the excited state estimated using this dependence are found to be close to one another (~10⁻¹⁵ s). The frequency and amplitude of the tilting vibrations of the adsorbed molecules in the excited state are estimated.