The solution phase chemistry of SO2 its reaction with water and other atmospheric constituents, is recognized as a major source of acid rain. Many of the good oxidizing agents formed by gas-phase chemistry in the troposphere, such as O3 and H2O2, do not react with SO2 at a measurable rate unless dissolved in an aqueous environment. A combinatimn of spectroscopic techniques will be used to locate and characterize the electronic energy levels of SO2 in the condensed phase. Intramolecular relaxation following the photoexcitation of SO2 and the rates of product formation will be examined using transient Raman spectroscopy at the University of Rochester and Photoacoustic Calorimetry (PAC) at the University of Pittsburgh. International activities include: developing a graduate-level course, Lasers in Chemistry; and initiating a graduate women's seminar series in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne Universities which will include a formal time for undergraduates to present their research.
