The PI will experiment with a variety of atmospheric phenomena, such as aurorae, Venus nightglow, lightning and space vehicle reentry, particularly pertaining to the lowest excited state of nitrous oxide. He will measure loss rate coefficients for a variety of quenchers over a large range of vibrational levels. Further, the PI will investigate details of energy transfer processes between nitrous oxide quartets and doublets in high vibrational levels, and develop methods for studying low vibrational levels. Finally, he will investigate the reactivity of this state with molecular oxygen and nitrogen to determine whether oxygen and nitrogen atoms are produced.***
