Dynamical parameters of desorbing molecules

The aim to uncover fundamental details of the desorption process as well as the needs of more applied research, like fusion, led recently to a growing interest in the study of the parameters of desorbing molecules. The main experimental methods and the most significant experimental results obtained so far are reviewed and discussed. The investigation of the parameters of desorbing molecules being one of the oldest fields of surface science, a number of pre- and misconceptions still hamper the mutual understanding and hereby impede progress. Accordingly, a relatively large pace is dedicated to the historical development, to definitions, and even to semantics.