In this project in Experimental Physical Chemistry , Prof. Strauss (U.C. Berkeley) will use infrared spectroscopy to study intermolecular interactions in condensed phases. Spectral hole-burning will be used to study the flow of vibrational energy in solids at low temperatures. Prototype rotational processes and conformational changes occuring on a slow time scale will be studied theoretically as well as experimentally. Systems to be studied include selectively deuterated ammonium ions,amorphous films of hydrocarbons and perfluorinated hydrocarbons, and hydrogen/ice inclusion compounds. %%% Hydrogen dissolved in water ice is thought to be a constituent of cold planets and their moons. By studying the properties of this and similar systems in the laboratory, Prof. Strauss (UC Berkeley) will add to our chemical knowledge in a highly cost effective manner. Information obtained by his spectroscopic studies will aid in interpreting chemical data sent from planetary space probes.
