The additional molecular interference contributions to the differential elastic electron scattering cross sections for spatially oriented and partially state-selected CH3C1 molecules have been measured at an incident energy of 1 keV. Using the electrostatic hexapole technique, the molecules were oriented with their axes preferentially parallel or antiparallel to the electron beam. Deviations from the diffraction pattern of unoriented molecules of up to 4% were observed as a function of momentum transfer. A change of the orientational distribution in the state ensemble gave rise to a significantly altered interference pattern with alignment contributions dominating in both cases. For comparison with the data the fractional population of the various states present in the molecular beam was calculated and the independent atom model was applied to obtain the scattering pattern using the formalism of Kohl and Shipsey.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.