Interaction of a supersonic beam of toluene with a resonant RF electric field

Deflection of a cold supersonic toluene beam seeded in He has been observed when these molecules interact with both a static and a resonant oscillating electric field. The toluene beam splits into two beams each one peaking at a deflection angle of 1 degree towards the positive and negative direction of the Stark field when the employed resonant frequency between the two Stark levels of the toluene molecule is 1411 kHz. This deflection angle is about four orders of magnitude higher than the value one would expect from the toluene dipole moment and the employed RF field gradient. Different hypothesis are suggested to explain the observed strong beam splitting including the possibility of transverse beam interferences induced by both the resonant RF field and the transverse uniform electric field. A theoretical model is presented based on molecular beam interferences induced by the resonant RF field which seems to account satisfactorily for the present observations.