Award Date

Spring 2010

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Physics

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Advisor 1

Bernard Zygelman, Committee Co-chair

First Committee Member

Tao Pang, Committee Co-chair

Second Committee Member

Stephen Lepp

Graduate Faculty Representative

Kathleen Robins

Number of Pages

81

Abstract

The quantum mechanical treatment of the elastic scattring of atoms from a crystal surface provides valuable information, such as surface properties and gas-surface interaction potentials. However, since it is based on the stationary state solution, it does not provide the details of the scattering process in the neighborhood of the surface, especially when atoms are physically adsorbed. In this thesis, the time evolution of the scattering process is treated in 2D with a model potential, V(x, z) = -|g|δ(z) + λδ(z)cos(2πx/a), using the Gaussian wave packet approach. The focus is on the case where the Gaussian wave packet makes a transition into a selective adsorption state because it can provide information on the probability density of selectively adsorbed particles as well as the details of the scattering process in the neighborhood of the surface. The obtained Gaussian wave packet solution shows a transition into a selective adsorption state. However, the probability density of selectively adsorbed particles cannot be accurately determined because the Gaussian wave packet constructed from the Born approximate time-independent wave function does not conserve the total probability density.

Keywords

Adsorption; Atom scattering; Gas-surface interaction; Hydrogen storage; Incident waves; Physisorption; Quantum theory; Scattering waves; Surface properties

Disciplines

Physics | Quantum Physics

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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