Electron and photon collision phenomena in atoms and molecules

亚稳态原子的发射常常主导地球高层大气中的“北方之光”，其产生或去激发的机制是什么？ 当X射线或其他高能辐射进入我们的身体时，释放出的电子会发生什么变化？ 这些电子对我们的DNA有多大伤害？如何利用激光冷却和原子陷阱来获得工业等离子体中碰撞过程的数据，特别是那些涉及激发态原子的数据？ 如何产生像硫或氧原子这样的活性粒子束，并用于量化行星大气中发生的过程？ 像水这样的分子在受到电子轰击时是以什么方式分裂的？当它们分裂时，得到特定碎片的几率有多大？实验学家和理论家如何才能最好地合作，建立碰撞过程的精确模型？ 这些都是我们在下一个赠款期间将寻求答案的一些问题。为了帮助实现这一目标，我们计划进行一系列复杂的实验，包括电子束、激光光子和各种目标。我们将使用最先进的技术，包括激光冷却和原子捕获，独特的亚稳态原子检测，以及质量，光学和电子光谱。许多实验的目的是提供精确的数据，完善目前的理论思想。将与在加拿大和世界各地从事相关工作的其他科学家保持密切合作。 不仅正在考虑的研究领域处于世界研究的前沿，而且实验旨在鼓励本科生和研究生的参与。有些是出于高技术产业对信息的需求。所获得的数据除了具有根本的重要性外，还将对大气和行星物理学、极光、低温等离子体物理学、放电、生物材料的辐射损伤、光子学和聚变能产生具有重要意义。

What are the mechanisms responsible for producing or de-exciting the metastable atoms whose emissions often dominate the “Northern Lights” in earth’s upper atmosphere? What happens to the electrons which are released when X-rays or other high energy radiation enters our bodies? How damaging are these electrons to our DNA? How can laser cooling and atom traps be used to obtain data about collision processes in industrial plasmas, particularly those involving atoms in excited states? How can beams of reactive particles like sulphur or oxygen atoms be produced and used to quantify processes occurring in planetary atmospheres ? In what ways do molecules like water break up when bombarded with electrons and what are the chances of getting particular fragments when they do? How can experimentalists and theoreticians work together best to establish accurate models of collision processes? These are some of the questions that we will be seeking answers to during the next grant period. To help accomplish this we plan a range of sophisticated experiments involving beams of electrons, laser photons and a variety of targets. We will be using state-of-the-art techniques including laser cooling and trapping of atoms, unique metastable atom detection, and mass, optical and electron spectrometries. Many of the experiments are designed to provide accurate data for refinement of current theoretical ideas. Close collaboration will be maintained with other scientists doing related work in Canada and around the world. Not only are the research areas under consideration at the forefront of world research but the experiments are designed to encourage the involvement of students, both undergraduate and graduate . Some are motivated by demands for information by high-technology industry. In addition to their fundamental importance, the data obtained will have significance for atmospheric and planetary physics, the aurora, low temperature plasma physics, electrical discharges, radiation damage in biological materials, photonics and fusion energy generation.