Surface deformation in molecular physisorption

Adsorption on a deformable surface depends, not only on attractive and repulsive forces, but also on the elastic forces resisting deformation. The dimples appearing upon methane physisorption are calculated both for a metal surface, Au(1 1 1), and for a molecular surface, Ar(1 1 1), approximate values of the dimple depth being 0.31 and 0.74 إ, respectively.