State resolved laser induced desorption of NO molecules from a NiO(100) surface is studied theoretically. A full potential energy surface for the excited state was constructed by means of ab initio cluster calculations in addition to the potential energy surface for the ground state. Multidimensional wave packet calculations on these two surfaces allow a detailed simulation of experimental observables, such as velocity distributions and desorption probabilities, on a full ab initio basis.

• Received 1 December 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.5208