Electrostatic hexapole state-selection of the asymmetric-top molecule propylene oxide: Rotational and orientational distributions

► Supersonic beams of chiral molecule propylene oxide are selected by electrostatic hexapole. ► Pure and He or Ar seeded beams are investigated by time of flight and mass spectrometric detection. ► Focusing curves are analyzed to provide alignment and rotational distributions. ► Simulations involve full diagonalization of Stark matrices and account of avoided crossings. ► Orientational distributions for photochemical and scattering experiments are exhibited.