For example, the hydrogen molecule, because of its light mass, gets a high translational energy.
Such a hot atom does not fly into vacuum but is trapped on the surface, where it diffuses with high energy.
Hot atoms are expected to play important roles in catalytic reactions.
Hot atoms can also be generated by degenerating molecules on a metal surface with UV light.
Elucidating the role of hot atoms on surfaces will lead to a deeper understanding of the mechanism of reactions.