Low-Energy Electron Diffraction Studies of Liquid Lead, Bismuth, and Tin Surfaces

The intensities of elastically scattered low-energy electrons from liquid lead, bismuth, and tin surfaces were measured as a function of scattering angle and electron energy. Contour maps were constructed which display all three variables simultaneously. The intensity distribution appears to be due to uncorrelated atom scattering and thus gives directly the low-energy electron–atomic scattering factor. Intensity fluctuations due to the radial distribution function in the liquid surface could not be detected. Several scattering processes are discussed which could all increase the over-all background intensity and would render the intensity changes which are due to the liquid structure undetectable.