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

这一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分校)和巴西(坎皮纳斯州立大学以及Juiz de Fora和Paraná联邦大学)的实验和计算科学家，他们将利用互补的能力解决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，将应用一种精确测量基本碰撞参数的新方法。该项目涉及研究低能电子的弹性散射，即电子在不损失任何能量的情况下散射的碰撞，以及非弹性散射，在非弹性散射中，电子失去动能，进而将能量传递给目标分子。还将研究极低能电子附着在分子上，导致分子分裂，产生带负电荷的碎片离子。甲醇、乙醇、水和DNA碱基等与技术和生物相关的分子将是研究的主题。即将进行的研究将增进对生物系统中电子传输和电子驱动化学的理解，并将有助于理解酒精燃料发动机中的电子引发反应，如火花或等离子点火。这一合作项目具有很强的教学成分。加州州立大学富勒顿分校的本科生将在合作的巴西机构之一进行为期8周的理论或实验研究。因此，参与该项目将增进学生在实验物理研究方面的实践经验，并加深他们对现代科学的多元文化、国际环境的了解。

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.