High resolution VUV spectroscopic facility at the SURF II electron storage ring

Described in detail is a new high resolution spectroscopic facility which utilizes a 6.65-m off-plane Eagle spectrometer and synchrotron radiation from an electron storage ring light source. This facility has been constructed to provide a national capability for research in the atomic and molecular sciences which combines spectroscopic resolution in excess of 10(5) with a stable and calibrated VUV continuum light source. High resolution is obtained using blazed 4800-groove/mm gratings, which produce linear dispersions of 0.3 A/mm in first order. The fore optics in the beam line portion of the facility enhances the polarization of the VUV radiation from the storage ring to provide light to the experimental areas, which is highly polarized parallel to the plane of the storage ring. The beam line also contains several stages of differential pumping to permit high gas load experiments. There are three principal experimental areas in the facility: in front of the spectrometer's entrance slit, on the carriage which scans along the focal curve of the 6.65-m instrument, and behind the chamber containing the focal curve scanner. Several experiments currently in progress or preparation are discussed briefly.