Inner shell excitation of CH 3F,CH 3Cl,CH 3Br and CH 3I by 2.5 keV electron impact

Small angle inelastic scattering of 2.5 keV electrons was used to study inner shell excitation in the methyl halides at energy transfers between 50 and 700 eV. Discrete peaks due to the excitation of carbon K, fluorine K, chlorine L, bromine M_{4, 5} and iodine N _{4, 5} electrons were observed. Correlations through the methyl halide series were used to aid in the assignment of features in the carbon K-shell spectra. A comparison of halogen inner-shell excitation structures with the carbon K-shell excitation structure in the same molecule allowed a complete assignment of all spectral features. The assignments proposed involve promotions of inner shell electrons to unoccupied valence and Rydberg orbitals. On the basis of our assignments of the chlorine L- and carbon K-shell electron energy loss spectra of CH ₃Cl we propose an alternate assignment of the previously reported CH ₃Cl chlorine K-shell photoabsorption spectrum.