The Design and Construction of a Stark-Modulation Microwave Spectrograph

Abstract

A detailed description of a Stark-modulation (see reference 1) microwave spectrograph which has been designed and constructed in this laboratory is given. Circuit diagrams and values of the components are given for all the custom-built equipment. The frequency range is from 17 to 28 kmc/s. Peak Stark-modulation voltages up to 1500 volts sine wave and 800 volts square wave are used. The sensitivity is better than 1×10−8 cm−1. The absorption lines are about 300 kc wide at half-power and the practical limit of resolution is between ½ and 1 mc. Frequencies may be measured to better than ±0.08 mc.