Sticking in the physisorption well: Influence of surface structure

We demonstrate by D₂ nozzle beam experiments on cold Cu(111), Cu(100), and Cu(110) surfaces that the substrate surface structure profoundly influences the sticking and trapping of particles in the physisorption well. Comparison with theoretical calculations reveals that this is caused by structure-specific differences in the particle-phonon coupling and the collision processes that control the lateral propagation of particles trapped in quasibound states.