This award supports projects encompassing experiments in two different broad research areas. The first research focus emphasizes precision measurements in fundamental systems, notably simple objects such as atomic helium and molecular hydrogen. A new project will test the antisymmetrization postulate in quantum mechanics by measurements in molecular oxygen. The second research focus is on the study of molecular dynamics in highly excited Rydberg atoms. A new direction for the group in molecular dynamics will concentrate on the utilization of coherent excitation and control to achieve selective branching ratios for photogenerated processes.
