Continuous wave cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CW-CRDS) of C60 in the mid-IR at 8.5μm using a quantum cascade laser and a slit-jet expansion source

PHYS 265

Brian E. Brumfield, bbrumfi2@uiuc.edu1, Susanna L. Widicus Weaver, slww@uiuc.edu2, Scott S. Howard3, Claire F. Gmachl3, and Benjamin J. McCall, bjmccall@uiuc.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801, (2) Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, (3) Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Engineering Quadrangle, Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08544
Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is a molecule of both astrophysical and fundamental spectroscopic interest. Its presence in the interstellar medium has been anticipated since its discovery in experiments simulating chemistry in carbon star outflows. Successful astronomical detection will depend upon high resolution gas phase laboratory spectroscopy for comparison to astronomical observations. Currently no high resolution direct absorption spectrum is available for any fullerene. Our aim is to obtain a high resolution gas phase spectrum of a mid-IR rovibrational band of C60. To obtain rotationally cold C60 a high temperature oven is combined with a slit jet expansion source. A Fabry-Perot continuous wave quantum cascade laser is coupled into our ringdown cavity to obtain the high resolution CW-CRDS spectrum. We will present our experimental setup and the progress of our spectroscopic study.
 

General Posters
7:30 PM-10:00 PM, Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster

Division of Physical Chemistry

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007