The Magnetic Moment of the Diatomic Sulfur Molecule

The magnetic properties of the diatomic sulfur molecule have been investigated by means of the Stern-Gerlach molecular-ray method. The diatomic sulfur was prepared by heating sulfur vapor at a pressure of 0.3 mm of mercury to temperatures of 300-450°C. At the higher temperature, the magnetic fields attainable were insufficient to break down the coupling between the rotational axis of the molecule and the spin axis of the electrons and only broadening of the image resulted. At 300°C the image was split into two lines, one at the position of the line obtained in the absence of a magnetic field and the other on the side of the stronger field. The results prove that the diatomic sulfur molecule possesses a magnetic moment due to electron spin; the indicated configuration is a ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\Sigma$.