Revisiting the Nonreactive Scattering of N2 off W(100): On the Influence of the Scattering Azimuth on In-Plane Angular Distributions

The nonreactive scattering dynamics of N2 off W(100) is theoretically investigated by means of quasi-classical trajectory simulations making use of a density functional theory-based potential energy surface. Over a wide range of collision energies, the evolution of the in-plane angular distributions, in agreement with experiment, can be interpreted in terms of direct scattering on the adiabatic potential energy surface. The results suggest that the evolution of the width of the angular distributions, which is often regarded as the signature of the scattering regime, might significantly depend on the azimuth of the scattering plane.