A statistical approach to energy loss during gas-liquid collisions II: Neon-liquid metal collisions

►New theory accounts for 20% energy loss by a fast neon atom striking a liquid metal surface. ►Statistical approach avoids considering the detailed dynamics of the collision process. ►This Letter, together with a previous paper accounting for 60% energy loss by a fast neon atom striking the surface of a non-metallic liquid, supports the local mode and sinusoidal mode models for short wavelength vibrations on non-metallic liquid and liquid metal surfaces. ►Also predicts low trapping probabilities on a liquid metal surface, and accounts for the 'low-energy shoulder' in the probability distribution for energy loss without postulating multiple collisions with the surface.