In this project in the physical chemistry program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. R. J. Gordon of the University of Illinois at Chicago will pursue a variety of investigations in molecular dynamics, in the general area of non-adiabatic reactions. Two types of experiments will be performed: photodissociation and bi-molecular reactions. Among the first type are studies of avoided crossings in ozone, multiple pathways in the photodissociation of chloroethylenes, and the photodissociation of hydrogen chloride. Included in the second type are investigations of the collision of B-state excited carbon monoxide with argon, and the reaction dynamics of atomic deuterium with hydrogen chloride and of atomic chlorine with hydrogen bromide. The subject of non-adiabatic electronic transitions in reactive chemistry is an important one and a number of test systems are investigated in this project. Besides being of fundamental interest, the photodissociation studies also have bearing on environmetal issues.
