Heat transfer at surfaces exposed to short-pulsed laser fields

Strong short laser pulses can give rise to strong increase in the electronic temperature at metal surfaces. Energy transfer from the hot electron system to adsorbed molecules may result in adsorbate reactions, e.g., desorption or diffusion. We point out the limitations of an often used equation to describe the heat transfer process in terms of a friction coupling, and present a simple theory for the energy transfer between the adsorbate and hot electrons using a proposed heat transfer coefficient.