Interaction of NO(v=12) with LiF(001): Evidence for anomalously large vibrational relaxation rates

The vibrational survival properties of highly excited NO molecules scattering from an insulator surface were measured. It was shown that survival probabilities for NO(v=12) scattering from the surface of LiF(001) are quite high, in marked contrast to the <1% vibrational survival for NO(v=15) scattering from Au(111). Despite the high survival probabilities observed in general, it was also shown that at the lowest surface temperatures and incidence energies convenient to the apparatus, substantial vibrational relaxation can be observed.