Terry L. Thiem
Published: 1990
Total Pages: 34
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A high temperature mass spectrometer used to obtain laboratory data on the thermochemical properties of materials encountered in space research is described in detail. The experimental procedures and data analysis necessary to obtain thermochemical constants from the mass spectrometer data are also described. The present experimental arrangement allows cell temperatures of up to 2100 K. Reliable measurements at signal levels below 10 ion counts/s can be made because of the very low background signal and the entirely automated data acquisition and averaging system. In preliminary studies of osmium and its oxides, it is shown that the choice of molybdenum as the cell material is detrimental. The use of an alumina Knudsen cell is proposed.