Generating intense beams of low-energy molecules

A method for obtaining intense pulsed beams of molecules possessing low kinetic energies is proposed. The method is based on the formation of a cold pressure shock (shock wave) in an intense pulsed molecular beam interacting with a solid surface, which serves as a source of the secondary beam of low-energy molecules. The proposed method was successfully used to obtain intense beams of H-2, He, CH4, and Kr molecules with kinetic energies not exceeding 10 meV, and H-2/Kr and He/Kr beams with kinetic energies of H-2 and He molecules below 1 meV. (C) 2002 MAIK "Nauka / Interperiodica".