Energy transfer processes during the scattering of vibrationally excited no molecules from a graphite surface

Vibrationally excited NO molecules scattered from a cleaved graphite surface show rotational state populations and rotational accommodation identical to those of ground-state incoming molecules. The survival probability of the vibrational state is found to vary between 75 and 95%, depending on the surface temperature. Transfers of vibrational energy to both molecular rotation and translation are shown to be of only minor importance for the vibrational relaxation during the NO/graphite interaction.