An electron-impact spectroscopy investigation of CH_3 and some of its pyrolytic precursors

Abstract

The electronic spectrum of the methyl radical CH_3 was investigated by the technique of variable‐angle electron energy‐loss spectroscopy. By means of pyrolytic decomposition three possible sources of this radical were tried (tetramethyl tin, ethyl nitrite, and di‐t‐butyl‐peroxide). The spectra of these precursors were obtained. Using di‐t‐butyl‐peroxide, relative differential cross sections for the lowest allowed A″_2 3s Rydberg transition in CH_3 (5.73 eV) were determined at incident energies of 50 and 25 eV. The behavior of the differential cross section for this band is analogous to that of a spin‐allowed transition in a closed shell system and, as expected, in the vicinity of this band no transition of a spin‐forbidden nature is detected.