Molecular beam kinetics

The design of a crossed molecular beam ''supermachine'' for neutral-- neutral collisions is discussed. The universal electron bombardment ionizer, mass filter, and ion detection system of the detector, the supersonic nozzle sources, the differential pumping arrangement for the sources and detector, the time-of-flight detection of scattered products, and the overall configuration of the apparatus are described. The elastic scattering of two systems, CH$sub 4$ + Ar and NH$sub 3$ + Ar, has been measured using the supermachine with two supersonic nozzle sources. The rainbow structure and the interference oscillations are seen in each system. The best fit to the data was found using a Morse--Spline--Van der Waals (MSV) potential. The three potential parameters epsilon, r/sub m/, and $beta$ were found to be 2.20(+-0.04) x 10$sup -14$ ergs, 3.82(+-0.04)A, and 7.05 +- 0.20 for CH$sub 4$ + Ar, and 2.21(+-0.04) x 10$sup - 14$ ergs 3.93 (+-0.05)A, and 8.45 +- 0.30 for NH$sub 3$ + Ar. A new phenomenon in crossed molecular beams of condensation of a molecule on a cluster to form a complex was observed. A bromine molecule condensed on clusters of chlorine (Cl$sub 2$)/sub chi/ and ammonia (NH$sub 3$)/sub chi/. The value of chi for measurements in these experiments ranges from 7 to 40 for chlorine clusters and from 10 to 70 ammonia clusters. (auth