Professor Watts is a pioneer in infrared absorption spectroscopy of van der Waals molecules. His past work has included both experimental and theoretical studies. In the current research, he will continue and extend these investigations to provide information about molecular interactions, potential energy surfaces, intramolecular energy transfer, and vibrational dynamics. This information is needed to test calculations of collisional and condensed phase properties as well as to describe how chemical reactions occur. In the near future, Dr. Watts will measure the high resolution infrared spectra of both small, weakly bound,van der Waals and strongly associated clusters using F-center and carbon dioxide lasers, the angular distributions and energetics of infrared induced cluster fragmentation by time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and theoretical and experimental investigations of state resolved differential scattering measurements on the He/HF system.
