Hitchcock: electron impact research

Contact Info
Adam P. Hitchcock
Canada Research Chair
in Materials Research
CLS-CCRS
B.I.M.R
McMaster University
Hamilton, ON
Canada L8S 4M1
V: +1 905 525-9140
x24729
F: +1 905 521-2773
E: aph@mcmaster.ca
U: unicorn.mcmaster.ca
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Highlights of recent research

Electron Impact Research (at McMaster)

ISEELS - Inner Shell Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy - dipole-regime core excitation spectra of gas phase molecules. Recent themes: models for polymer and biological systems: amino acids & peptides; sugars & peptidoglycans; carbonyl compounds, peroxides, bi-ring systems.
Review article: A.P. Hitchcock, Inner shell Excitation Spectroscopy of Molecules using Inelastic Electron Scattering, J. Electron Spectroscopy Rel. Phenom. 112 (2000) 9-29

McVAHRES - McMaster Variable Angle High Resolution Electron Spectrometer - non-dipole and spin-forbidden core excitation transitions in gas molecules. Quantitative generalized oscillator strengths (GOS). Quasi-elastic scattering - a fascinating exploration of Rutherford scattering by individual atoms in molecules that has intriguing details that may give insights into quantum superposition and decoherence - phenomena at the heart of quantum computing.
Review article: A.P. Hitchcock, I.G. Eustatiu, J.T. Francis and C.C. Turci, Electron Impact Core excitation of molecules: Non-dipole spectroscopy and generalised oscillator strengths, J. Electron Spectrosc. 88-91 (1998) 77-82.

McEELFS: McMaster Electron Energy Loss Fine Structure Spectrometer - is a UHV surface analysis system designed to explore reflection core loss spectroscopy of well-defined surfaces and adsorbates. It features a fixed hemispherical analyser (HSA) with flexible electron optics, used to analyse inelastic scattering of electrons from surfaces. It has two electron guns - a fixed field emission gun at 90 deg. from the analyser, and a moveable oxide cathode electron gun with independent motion of elecron gun position and sample orientation.
Refelction EELS at McMaster: A.P. Hitchcock and T. Tyliszczak, Surface studies by core-excitation reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy, Surface Review and Letters 2 (1995) 43-61.

Status as of 2021. ISEELS is functional and used intermittently several months a year. McVAHRES is intact, and was functional whe last used in ~2010. McEELFS has been partly disassembled and cannibalized. It would be a major project to resuscitate.