Adsorption energy of Cs and K on the surface of refractory carbides

The methods of thermionic emission, contact potential difference and surface ionization have been used to study the emission absorption characteristics of TiC, ZrC, HfC, NbC, TaC in the vapours of cesium and potassium. It is shown that the adsorption energy of alkaline metals on metal-like refractory carbides depends both on the adsorbent work function and the principal quantum number of the adatom valence electrons. The results obtained are discussed on the basis of the model of configuration interactions with allowance made for the intraatomic correlations on the adatom