Molecular Beams with Energies above One Electron Volt

Abstract

By using as sources supersonic jets of hydrogen or helium containing small concentrations of heavier molecules we have been able to obtain molecular beams with kinetic energies of the heavy molecules well into the range above I electron volt. A variety of molecules have been successfully accelerated. Intensities of 10¹⁶ to 10¹⁷ heavy molecules per steradian-second have been achieved at these high energies.