Resonance photon scattering from ¹⁵N₂ monolayers absorbed on grafoil

Nuclear resonance scattering of photons from ¹⁵N has been used to study the orientation of the N2 molecular axis with respect to the adsorbing Grafoil plane. At 78 A ° K, and around 1 monolayer coverage, the N₂ molecules were found to be aligned preferentially parallel to the plane of graphite. At lower coverage, of ∼0.8 monolayer, some parallel orientation is retained while at a coverage of 1.5 monolayers no preferred orientation was obtained.