Accession Number:

ADA582459

Title:

Metastable Electronically Excited Atoms and Molecules: Excitation Transfer in Slow Collisions, Probed by Means of a Counter-Rotating Supersonic Jet

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. 1 Mar 2009-31 May 2012

Corporate Author:

MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE DEPT OF CHEMISTRY

Personal Author(s):

• Field, Robert W.

Report Date:

2012-08-15

Pagination or Media Count:

7.0

Abstract:

A new class of molecule source , uniquely suited for spectroscopic study of energetic materials, has been designed and tested. This buffer gas cooled ablation source is used in combination with a Chirped Pulse millimeter Wave CPmmW spectrometer, which is capable of detecting polar molecular species transferred into the gas phase by laser ablation, laser initiated micro-detonation, laser vaporization, or reactions accompanying warming of a cryogenic matrix of an energetic material, such as a co-deposited redox combination. A factor of 100x improvement in molecule density per laser pulse relative to standard supersonic jet ablation sources has been demonstrated, in addition to a nearly factor of 10x reduction in Doppler width.

Descriptors:

• *ATOMS
• *COUNTERROTATION
• *ELECTRONICS
• *EXCITATION
• *METASTABLE STATE
• *MOLECULES
• *SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT
• ABLATION
• DOPPLER SYSTEMS
• ENERGETIC PROPERTIES
• SPECTROSCOPY
• TRANSFER

Subject Categories:

• Aircraft
• Physical Chemistry
• Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy
• Mechanics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE