Production of high density molecular beams with wide velocity scanning

We describe modifications of a pulsed rotating supersonic beam source that improve performance, particularly increasing the beam density and sharpening the pulse profiles. As well as providing the familiar virtues of a supersonic molecular beam (high intensity, narrowed velocity distribution, and dr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of scientific instruments 2016-06, Vol.87 (6), p.064102-064102
Main Authors: Sheffield, L. S., Woo, S. O., Rathnayaka, K. D. D., Lyuksyutov, I. F., Herschbach, D. R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ATOMS
AUGMENTATION
COLLISIONS
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COOLING
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
KINETIC ENERGY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MOLECULAR BEAMS
MOLECULES
PARAMAGNETISM
Performance enhancement
PULSES
ROTATION
Scanning
Scientific apparatus & instruments
Sharpening
VELOCITY
Velocity distribution
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Summary:We describe modifications of a pulsed rotating supersonic beam source that improve performance, particularly increasing the beam density and sharpening the pulse profiles. As well as providing the familiar virtues of a supersonic molecular beam (high intensity, narrowed velocity distribution, and drastic cooling of rotation and vibration), the rotating source enables scanning the translational velocity over a wide range. Thereby, beams of any atom or molecule available as a gas can be slowed or speeded. Using Xe beams in the slowing mode, we have obtained lab speeds down to about 40 ± 5 m/s with density near 1011 cm−3 and in the speeding mode lab speeds up to about 660 m/s and density near 1014 cm−3. We discuss some congenial applications. Providing low lab speeds can markedly enhance experiments using electric or magnetic fields to deflect, steer, or further slow polar or paramagnetic molecules. The capability to scan molecular speeds facilitates merging velocities with a codirectional partner beam, enabling study of collisions at very low relative kinetic energies, without requiring either beam to be slow.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/1.4953613