Surface - Catalyzed Recombination into Excited Electronic , Vibrational , Rotational , and Kinetic Energy States : a Review

OH, N2, H2, and trans la t Laboratory experiments in which recombined CO, C02, D20, and 02 molecules desorb from surfaces in excited internal ional states are briefly reviewed. Unequilibrated distributions predominate from the principally catalytic-metal substrates so far investigated. and in some cases less than, wall-thermal; the velocity distributions generally vary with emission angle, with non-Lambertian particle fluxes. The excitation state populations are found to depend on surface impurities, in an as yet unexplained way. Mean kinetic energies have been observed up to -3x,