Development of a Novel Laboratory Instrument for Studying Gas-Phase Negative Ion Chemistry

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With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities - Instrument Development (CRIF-ID) Program, Daniel Savin in the Astrophysics Laboratory at Columbia University will develop a new instrument for studying gas-phase, anion-neutral reactions which complements the existing methods, thereby filling an important niche. The PI will use fast, merged anion-neutral beams and detect the charged end products. This novel research instrument will combine state-of-the-art laboratory methods in a unique arrangement not currently available elsewhere and will add new capabilities allowing for the detection of detached product electrons. Future extensions will allow direct detection of the product anions. Laboratory beam energies will be in the keV range; but because the beams run co-linear, center-of-mass energies from the meV to keV range can be achieved. The PI will to be able to measure absolute reaction cross sections with an accuracy of " 20%. This instrument will represent the first use of fast, merged beams to study anion-neutral reactions and the first detection of detached electrons from a merged beams arrangement. This instrument will have impact in a large number of fields, including astrophysics, physical chemistry, mass spectrometry and even possible in more remote disciplines, such as physical organic and environmental chemistry. Thus, it serves a diverse population of the scientific community from a scientific and education standpoint.