September 28, 2012, 3:10 pm to 4:00 pm

"Photodetachment: When Negative Ions See the Light," by J.N. Yukich (Physics Colloquium Series)

This talk will be given by J.N. Yukich of the Department of Physics at Davidson College.

Abstract: Photodetachment is a process by which a negative ion absorbs one or more photons and as a result ejects its extra electron. Studies of photodetachment, both theoretical and experimental, give insight into the mechanisms responsible for covalent bonds as well as insight into photoionization of neutral atoms. Photodetachment studies are of broader interest to both physical chemists and atmospheric scientists. In this talk, I will describe some of the fundamentals of photodetachment and then share results from several experiments we have conducted at Davidson College. The ions are produced by dissociative attachment to a carrier gas and are stored in a Penning ion trap. The ions are then typically illuminated with a continuously tunable single-mode laser. By measuring the percentage of ions surviving laser illumination we determine the relative detachment cross section. Structure in the cross section is understood to result from quantum mechanical interference of the outgoing electron wave function, and yields valuable spectroscopic benchmarks.

Reception to follow.

Location: Franklin Miller, Jr. Lecture Hall (RBH 109)

Sponsor: Department of Physics

Contact: Connie M. Miller

Email: millercm@kenyon.edu

Phone: (740) 427-5069

Add to Your Google Calendar