Electronic structure of the surface of rare Earth metals

A qualitative model describing the surface of rare earth metals with an uncompleted $4f$ electron shell (Ce–Yb) and the process of thermal evaporation from this surface is proposed. The model is based on a correlation established between the energies of the lowest-lying levels of the $4f^{N-1}5d6s^2$ configuration and the temperatures of equal saturated-vapor pressures of these metals.