The recoil of adsorbates away from and towards surfaces is well-known. Here, long-range recoil in the plane of the surface, which leads to reaction at a distance, is described. Surface reactions are shown to propel their physisorbed ethylenic products across the rough surface of Si(100) by up to 200 Å before re-attachment.
- K. R. Harikumar
- John C. Polanyi
- Werner A. Hofer
