Professor Cheuk-Yiu Ng is supported by a grant from the Experimental Physical Program. He is studying single molecule, or ion, dissociations originating from collisions with other similar kinds of species. These species are of a somewhat different nature than he has studied previously and he will, therefore, also be constructing some new equipment in order to accomplish his objectives. More specifically, Professor Ng will be studying unimolecular decomposition, collision-induced dissociation and reaction dynamics of internal energy selected cluster ions such as the positive species from argon, xenon, water, ammonia and several others as well. By measuring the kinetic energy distribution of fragment ions absolute state to state decay rates can be inferred, thus allowing us to gain greater insight into the bonding and energetics of cluster ions.
