Laser spectroscopy of metal and semimetal molecules

有了这个更新奖，化学系的化学结构，动力学和机制计划A（CSDM-A）支持教授迈克尔D。犹他州大学的莫尔斯在一个项目中，将使用激光探测小金属和含硼分子在气相中的结构和键合特性。这些调查将提供的数据，将被用作基准的现代计算技术所获得的结果。这个项目将增加一系列有趣和重要分子中化学键性质的基础知识。参加这项研究的学生将接受仪器开发、真空技术、电子和计算技术方面的培训。首席研究员将为高中化学教师举办一系列研讨会。该项目将使用激光光谱学来发展对小分子电子结构和化学键合的基本理解。拟研究的系统包括：（1）分子BNB和BC 2，三原子分子，其高级理论产生相互矛盾的结果;（2）硼簇，其已被证明具有有趣的电子结构，其影响分子结构;（3）含双原子金属和硅的物质，以确定这些物质的键长和电子对称性;和（4）一系列3d、4d、5d和4f金属分子与低温冷却离子阱，以便建立精确的（0.3kJ/mol）金属-金属键的键离解能数据库。计划与计算和理论专家进行广泛的合作。

With this renewal award, the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanism Program A (CSDM-A) of the Division of Chemistry supports Professor Michael D. Morse of the University of Utah in a project that will use lasers to probe the structural and bonding properties of small metal and boron containing molecules in the gas phase. These investigations will provide data that will be used as benchmarks for results obtained by modern computational techniques. This project will increase fundamental knowledge of the nature of the chemical bonds in a series of interesting and important molecules. Students participating in this research will receive training in instrument development, vacuum technology, electronics and computational techniques. The principal investigator will conduct a series of workshops for high school teachers of advanced placement chemistry.This project will use laser spectroscopy to develop a fundamental understanding of the electronic structure and chemical bonding in small molecules. Systems to be studied include: (1) the molecules BNB and BC2, triatomic molecules for which high-level theory yields conflicting results; (2) boron clusters,which have been shown to have interesting electronic structure, which influences the molecular structure; (3) diatomic metal and silicon containing species, to determine the bond lengths and electronic symmetries of these species; and (4) a range of 3d, 4d, 5d, and 4f metal molecules with a cryo-cooled ion trap, in order to build up an accurate (0.3 kJ/mol) database of bond dissociation energies for metal-metal bonds. Extensive collaborations with computational and theoretical specialists are planned.