This project involves the study of collisions between polarized electrons or polarized photons with chiral, or ?handed? molecules and simple diatomic molecules. The proposed experiments address physics questions about the dynamics of electron/photon-molecule scattering, particularly with regard to spin-dependent effects and the collisional distribution of angular momentum. They would also provide important information for applications requiring knowledge of basic electron-molecule and photon-molecule scattering cross sections, including the modeling of industrial and astrophysical plasmas. Improved sources and analyzers of polarized electrons will also be developed. This latter work holds the promise of providing new analytical tools for biological and materials research, and for industry. Experiments will also explore effects when ?toroidal? light, i.e. light with both orbital and spin angular momentum, ionizes chiral molecules.
These experiments will have an impact beyond the immediate community of atomic, molecular, and optical science. Understanding of chiral, or ?handed? molecules play an important role in areas as diverse as astrobiology, pharmacology, and basic physics. This work holds the promise of providing new analytical tools for biological and materials research, and for industry. In addition to its broader scientific implications, this work will have a significant educational component. The project will educate graduate, undergraduate and high school students as well as recruit members of under-represented groups to science. The experiments with chiral molecules and their connection to astrobiological issues make an excellent topic for talks that will be given regularly to high school and civic groups, and serve to illustrate the beauty of basic physics to a large lay audience.
