Summary
Research Interests
Research interests center around the experimental investigation of inelastic molecular collisions, vibrational predissociation in weakly-bound complexes, photodissociation of molecules, and gas-phase chemical kinetics. Molecular beam techniques and time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection are used in conjunction with laser spectroscopic probes to study these chemical processes with electronic, vibrational, rotational, and translational quantum-state resolution. Experimental measurements are interpreted using theoretical models for these dynamic processes. Construction of realistic potential energy surfaces from dynamical measurements on complex systems is one major goal of our research.
Principal areas of current research include: (1) Photofragmentation dynamics of large molecules. The correlation of the scalar and vector properties of translational and rotational angular momentum is being studied in the photofragmentation dynamics of relatively large molecules where structure, conformation, and stereochemistry can play important roles in directing nuclear motions during the course of the dissociation reaction. A particular goal is the detection of preferential planes and senses of photofragment rotation that can result from stereospecificity in the reaction mechanism. We are presently examining the dynamics of alkylnitroso and azo compounds in detail with a special interest in stereospecificity in the dynamics of small chiral molecules. (2) Molecular stereodynamics of rotationally inelastic and reactive collisions. Recently we have measured the propensity for “frisbee” and “propeller” trajectories produced in rotationally inelastic collisions of NO and Ar.
Education
- Postdoctoral (1988-1990), JILA, University of Colorado (Stephen R. Leone)
- Ph.D. (1988), California Institute of Technology (Kenneth C. Janda)
- B.S. (1983), University of Virginia