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Hydrogen adsorption on alkali metal surfaces: Wetting, prewetting and triple-point wetting

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Abstract

We report the results of a quartz microbalance study of the multilayer adsorption of H2 and D2 on sodium and on rubidium. On sodium H2 and D2 display the well known phenomenon of triple-point wetting. Interestingly low temperature adsorption isotherms of H2 on the evaporated Na surface show sharp layering transitions. On rubidium a weaker substrate H2 and D2 undergo a wetting transition in the liquid phase followed by sharp presetting transitions away from liquid-vapor coexistence. The prewetting phase diagram of H2 on Rb has been quantitatively mapped out.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Laboratory, 16802, University Park, PA

    G. Mistura, H. C. Lee & M. H. W. Chan

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  1. G. Mistura
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  2. H. C. Lee
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  3. M. H. W. Chan
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Mistura, G., Lee, H.C. & Chan, M.H.W. Hydrogen adsorption on alkali metal surfaces: Wetting, prewetting and triple-point wetting. J Low Temp Phys 96, 221–244 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754739

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754739

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