THE MAGNETIC DEFLECTION SPECTRUM OF VCI sub 4.

The magnetic deflection spectra of VCI sub 4 seeded into supersonic beams of the rare gases have been determined. It is found that in the heavier rare gases (Ar, Kr and Xe) the Stern-Gerlach splitting patterns are just those expected for a molecule in a spin-doublet state, as complicated by the presence of nondeflecting (VCI sub 4) sub x clusters. In these beams, the satellite splittings of unclustered VCI sub 4 scale with the square of the beam velocities and there is no evidence in the Stern-Gerlach spectra for the rapid intramolecular spin relaxation (ISR) so apparent in the EPR and NMR spectra of this molecule in condensed phases. By contrast, the deflection spectrum of VCI sub 4 seeded into He is far more compressed than otherwise expected, suggesting that the ISR mechanism may be at work in this case.