Dynamics and Transport in Helium Nanodroplets

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In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Curt Wittig of the University of Southern California and his postdoctoral, graduate, undergraduate and high school student colleagues will study the dynamics of helium nanodroplets which have absorbed an impurity species. Some of the things to be studied include the presence or absence of vortices in the helium nanodroplet, induced by the pick-up of a lead atom, and the formation of Rydberg droplets -- a lead ion sheathed by the He droplet with an extended Rydberg orbital surrounding the whole. Neither of these species have been observed previously, and as such the experiments are risky. The entire effort benefits from collaboration with theorist Anna Krylov and her students, also at USC. Helium nanodroplets are an unusual quantum environment.that are seeing increased use as a unique, miniature laboratory for studying the physics and chemistry of atoms and molecules, but these studies require the kind of fundamental experiments outlined in this work to develop the necessary models to describe how matter behaves in these nanoscopic quantum liquids. In addition to the broader scientific impacts of these studies on physics and chemistry, Prof. Wittig will continue his mentoring of a diverse group of students -- whose career stages range from high school through postdoctoral level. In addition, he will continue to develop his unique chemical physics/physical chemistry graduate level curricular materials.