SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION OF REFRACTORY MOLECULES PRODUCED BY LASERVAPORIZATION

In classical ovens, vapour pressure of small molecules including refra ctory compounds is generally too weak to undertake their spectroscopic characterization in the gas phase. Laser sources as they allow any ma terial to be vaporized whatever its melting point, bring a satisfactor y answer to this problem. We designed a source of this type with the a im to undertake the spectroscopic characterization of small molecules including carbon or nitrogen together with a metal of large astrophysi cal abundance (Al, Mg, Na, Fe). The first mass spectra of neutral mole cules as well as ions produced by this source are presented in this pa per.