SUPERSONIC EXPANSION OF PURE COPPER VAPOR

A high temperature source (2800 K) has been developed to produce a free jet expansion of copper vapor (Tsource = 2500 K, Psource∼ 100 Torr). The supersonic beam formed under these conditions was characterized through analysis of the laser induced excitation spectrum for the B 1∑u+←X 1∑ g+ band system of Cu2. Excitation was accomplished with an argon ion pumped stilbene cw dye laser. The Cu2 formed in the expansion was characterized by a vibrational temperature, T vib = 950±100 K and a rotational temperature, Trot = 800±50 K. A new band system attributed to diatomic or triatomic copper has been observed. © 1979 American Institute of Physics.