MRI: Development of a Chirped-Pulse, Fourier-Transform mm-Wave Pulsed Uniform Supersonic Flow Spectrometer

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program Professor Arthur Suits from Wayne State University and colleague Robert Field from the Massachussetts Institute of Technology will develop a spectrometer that will join two powerful technologies: ultrabroad band chirped-pulse, Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy and pulsed uniform supersonic flows obtained from a Laval (convergent-divergent) nozzle. This combination has the potential to offer a nearly universal detection method for near-nascent species thermalized at 30-50 K, that can deliver quantitative measurements of reaction intermediates, excited states, and vibrational distributions. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) detection of isomer and conformers, (b) quantitative detection and spectroscopic charaterization of unstable reaction intermediates, product vibration distributions, and molecular excited states, as well as (c) reaction dynamic, kinetics, combustion and atmospheric chemistry, physics and astrochemistry.This unique spectrometer combines two powerful new techniques using sophisticated electronics developed for the communications industry. The combination results in something new: an instrument that can detect absolute numbers of trace amounts of unstable reaction products or excited states of molecules, and at the same time determine their structure: combining spectroscopy (giving structural information) and dynamics (revealing details of the reactive events). These unique attributes indicate that the new instrument will have broad applicability across many fields. During development, construction, testing and commissioning of the instrument many students will participate.