Abstract
WE report here the development of a molecular scanner, a device that yields information about the spatial variations in emission of neutral atoms or molecules from the surface of a heterogeneous sample. We believe that such instruments may be of great value in science and engineering, but we envisage a more refined apparatus. Here we merely describe the principle. We report the variation in evaporation in a scan across a sample consisting of alumina fragments embedded in potassium feldspar glass (K2O.Al2O3.6SiO2, melting point 1,550 ± 10° C). We believe this is the first report of the observation of surface features by molecular emission, as opposed to light or charged particles.
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References
Ramsey, N. F., Molecular Beams (Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1956). King, J. G., and Zacharias, J. R., Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics, 8 (Academic Press, New York, 1956).
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Woods, R. D., and Fenn, J. B., Rev. Sci. Instrum., 37, 917 (1966).
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KING, J., BIGAS, W. Molecular Scanner. Nature 222, 261–263 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/222261a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/222261a0
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