This project in the Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division is a study involving six experiments dealing with various topics in photochemistry and chemical dynamics, each designed to provide new insight. Among the experiments are a three-dimensional sub-Doppler spectroscopy applied to the photodissociation of water; looking at the reaction CN + HCN going to CNH + CN using isotopically labeled reagents; a test of the inversion mechanism in the reaction of H with SiD4 or CD4; Rydberg atom chemistry in the Cs + H2 reaction; looking for spin-aligned products from Hg* + H2; and an intramolecular reaction in 3-fluoropropanol initiated by photodissociation of the OH (or OD) bond to give HF (or DF). %%% One of the goals of a chemist is to elucidate experimentally the elementary mechanisms of a chemical reaction as simply and directly as possible. Chemists are constantly proposing new methods to reach this goal. This project covers six types of elementary chemical reactions which will be investigated by new methods or which will be studied for the first time to illustrate a general principle. The results of such an investigation will allow chemists to gain valuable insights into how chemical reactions occur on the atomic and molecular level.
