Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) of thev 3 band of methane in supersonic molecular beams

Supersonic molecular beams of methane are investigated in the expansion region using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). Raman spectra of thev₃ vibration with resolved rotational structure at low temperatures are reported. Comparison with calculated CARS spectra shows that the rotational distribution in the beam may be well described by a Boltzmann distribution. Temperatures are the same for all three nuclear spin modifications within the experimental error.