Energy transfer and dissociation in collisions of I₂ with MgO(100)

Iodine molecules in supersonic beams were collided with a single crystal MgO(100) surface. The dissociation probabilities and the kinetic energies of the non-dissociated molecules were measured in the collision energy range 1-10 eV and compared with the results of classical trajectory models. Very large molecule-surface energy transfer was observed. The excellent agreement between the theoretical calculations and the experimental findings leads to detailed dynamical insight.