Theory of molecule-surface scattering at thermal and hyperthermal energies

A theoretical model of molecule-surface scattering is developed which includes energy and momentum transfers between the surface and projectile for both translational and rotational motions and internal mode excitation for the projectile molecule. The translation and rotation motions are treated in the classical limit, while a quantum treatment for internal vibrational mode excitation is used. The results of calculations are compared with recent high-precision measurements of the scattering of a beam of C(2)H(2) molecules from a clean, ordered LiF(001) surface at energies of up to nearly 1 eV. The calculated results for angular distributions and rotational excitations are in good agreement with experiment.