Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Some theoretical and experimental aspects of the interaction of H2 with metal surfaces are reviewed. A variety of model potential energy surfaces based on simple extensions to the Lennard-Jones model are presented. These potentials include activation barriers which vary across the surface unit cell giving rise to a variety of physically interesting and realistic topologies. The quantum-mechanical scattering of hydrogen and its isotopes from these potentials illustrate that it is possible, in a very simple way, to account for simultaneous sticking and diffraction at a single beam energy. The inclusion of tunneling in a realistic description of initial sticking coefficients is shown to be essential for these light gases. Finally, it is proposed that by inverting diffraction data, it should be possible to obtain key information regarding the form of the potential energy surface.
Halstead et al. (Wed,) studied this question.