Electron-Impact Induced Molecular Fluoresence Spectroscopy

Abstract

By the bombardment of gaseous molecules with monoenergetic electrons the molecules can be electronically excited and/or fragmented, depending upon the energy supplied by the electrons. Any fragments which may be produced also have the possibility of being produced in electronically (as well as vibrationally and rotationally) excited states. The electronically excited molecules and fragments both possess the possibility of radiative decay (fluorescence). The measurement of this fluorescence as a function of both electron energy and photon wavelength is termed “electron-impact induced fluorescence spectroscopy.” A plot of fluorescence intensity as a function of the electron energy at a given photon wavelength is generally referred to as an “excitation function,” which is exactly analogous to the excitation spectrum which can be obtained in conventional (optically excited) fluorescence spectrometry. A plot of the fluorescence intensity as a function of photon wavelength at a given electron energy is termed the “fluorescence spectrum.” A three dimensional plot of the fluorescence intensity as a function of both the photon wavelength and the electron energy may also be constructed, and is referred to as an “excitation contour plot.”