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Field-ion-microscope observations and molecular statics calculations using embedded-atom-method potentials have identified the surface diffusion modes for Pt dimers and trimers on Pt(001). Dimers migrate by a series of displacements involving exchange between one of the dimer atoms and a substrate atom and have a lower activation barrier for diffusion than monomers. Trimer diffusion involves both exchange and hopping displacements and has an activation barrier comparable to monomers.
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Kellogg et al. (1991) studied this question.
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