Microwave spectroscopy is a powerful tool for characterizing the precise three-dimensional structure of molecules. Gas phase, polar molecules generate a detectable microwave signal, which is significantly enhanced by cooling to low temperatures in a high vacuum expansion. In this project, I have completed the construction of a high vacuum chamber, assembled a chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometer, created control software, and further researched applicable construction methods for vacuum systems. I have also designed a pyrolysis nozzle that will allow us to characterize the molecular intermediates of combustion reactions, which are often highly unstable radicals that can prove challenging to observe under standard conditions.
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