Collaborative Research: Experimental and Theoretical/Computational Studies of Low Energy Electron Collisions with Molecules

这项国际合作汇集了来自美国（加州理工学院和加州州立大学富勒顿）和巴西（坎皮纳斯州立大学和Juiz de Fora和Paraná的联邦大学）的实验和计算科学家，他们将把他们的互补能力应用于低能电子与分子相互作用的基本问题。重点领域是电子与具有生物和技术意义的分子的相互作用。作为研究的一部分，将采用一种精确测量基本碰撞参数的新方法。该项目涉及低能电子弹性散射的研究，即，碰撞，其中电子散射而不损失任何能量，以及非弹性散射，其中电子损失动能并进而将能量传递给靶分子。还将对极低能量电子附着在分子上导致分子分裂产生带负电荷的碎片离子进行调查。这些技术和生物相关的分子，如甲醇，乙醇，水和DNA碱基将是研究的对象。 将进行的研究将提高对生物系统中电子传输和电子驱动化学的理解，并将有助于理解电子引发的反应，如酒精燃料发动机中的火花或等离子体点火。来自加州州立大学富勒顿分校的本科生将在巴西的一个合作机构进行为期8周的理论或实验研究。 因此，参与该项目将提高学生在实验物理研究方面的实践经验，并提高他们对现代科学的多元文化和国际环境的理解。

This international collaboration brings together experimental and computational scientists from the U.S. (California Institute of Technology and California State University Fullerton) and Brazil (State University of Campinas and the Federal Universities of Juiz de Fora and Paraná), who will apply their complementary capabilities to fundamental problems in low energy electron interactions with molecules. The area of focus is electron interactions with molecules of biological and technological significance. As part of the research, a novel method of accurately measuring the basic collision parameters will be applied. The project involves the investigation of elastic scattering of low-energy electrons, i.e., collisions in which the electrons scatter without losing any energy, as well as inelastic scattering, in which the electrons lose kinetic energy and in turn impart energy to the target molecule. Investigations of the production of negatively charged fragment ions by very low energy electrons that attach themselves to the molecule, causing it to break apart will also be carried out. Such technologically and biologically relevant molecules as methanol, ethanol, water, and the DNA bases will be the subjects of the research. The research to be undertaken will enhance the understanding of electron transport and electron-driven chemistry in biosystems and will aid in understanding electron-initiated reactions, such as spark or plasma ignition, in alcohol-fueled engines.This collaborative project has a strong pedagogical component. Undergraduate students from California State University Fullerton will spend 8-week periods conducting theoretical or experimental research at one of the collaborating Brazilian institutions. Participation in the project will thus enhance both students' hands-on experience in experimental physics research and their understanding of the multicultural, international environment of modern science.