Photoionization of adsorbates on sites with non-axial local symmetry. An example of the symmetry group

1996

We present an analysis of the influence of the local adsorption site symmetry on the angular distribution of photoelectrons ejected from adsorbed atoms or molecules. This analysis applies to photoelectron spectra obtained with photons of any energy in the VUV (photoelectron spectroscopy) or x-ray (XPS) regions, provided that the associated wave of the electron `sees' the neighbouring surface atoms. The adsorbate - substrate system is modelled by a cluster of symmetry group consisting of an adsorbate and several atoms of the substrate. The analysis applies also to clean surfaces of symmetry and to molecules of the symmetry group fixed in space. This local symmetry analysis is an alternative …