The thermal stability and fragmentation of C60 molecule up to 2000 K on the milliseconds time scale

A method of generating effusive molecular beams of C60 with vibrational temperatures up to 2000 K is presented. Direct measurement of the thermal stability and fragmentation kinetics of C60 in the range of 1100–1970 K, on the milliseconds time scale, provides thermal rate constants k(T)=10–300 s−1 (for T=1720–1970 K, respectively) and activation energy of E0=4.0±0.3 eV.