Production of rotationally cold methyl radicals in pulsed supersonic beams.

We present a comparison of two technically distinct methods for the generation of rotationally cold, pulsed supersonic beams of methyl radicals (CH): a plate discharge source operating in the glow regime and a dielectric barrier discharge source. The results imply that the efficiency of both sources is comparable and that molecular beams with similar translational and rotational temperatures are formed. Methane (CH) proved to be the most suitable radical precursor species.

Magnetic Trapping of Cold Methyl Radicals.

We have demonstrated that a supersonic beam of methyl radicals (CH_{3}) in the ground rotational state of both para and ortho species has been slowed down to standstill with a magnetic molecular decelerator, and successfully captured spatially in an anti-Helmholtz magnetic trap for >1  s. The trapped CH_{3} radicals have a mean translational temperature of about 200 mK with an estimated density of >5.0×10^{7}  cm^{-3}.