title: Electron-induced desorption of physisorbed H2 via resonance vibrational excitation.
abstract: We show by electron energy-loss measurements that desorption of physisorbed H(2) and D(2) induced by low-energy electrons takes place with large cross sections, predominantly via resonance excitation of the molecule-surface vibrational mode. The observed H(2), D(2) cross-section ratio supports a picture where rotation-translation conversion of the resonance excited j = 0 --> 2 rotational transition contributes to the desorption of H(2), while this channel is energetically closed for D(2).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Göteborg University, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Svensson