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Abstract

In this paper, we review recent developments in our efforts to get complete control over the velocity of a molecular beam. Central to these experiments is the use of a Stark decelerator, with which the velocity of a beam of neutral polar molecules can be continuously varied, using techniques akin to methods used in charged particle accelerator physics. These techniques allow for confining isolated gas-phase molecules in traps, but can also be used, to advantage, in a variety of molecular beam experiments where the velocity of the beam is an important parameter. Particularly, molecular beam inelastic scattering experiments can be performed with a variable collision energy and with a high intrinsic energy resolution.