Frontiers in Spectroscopy

Chemical Physics 894

Instructor: Terry A. Miller

Office: 18 Celeste Lab

Phone: 292-2569

email: tamiller+@osu.edu

Course Description: As part of the nascent Spectroscopy Institute, a new chemical physics course will be offered Winter Quarter, 1998. This course will provide students with an overview of topics on the frontier of spectroscopic research. It will exploit internationally renowned lecturers, as well as outstanding OSU faculty, to cover topics ranging from very fundamental to quite applied. General areas to be covered will include fundamental characteristics of molecular quantum structure, electromagnetics, new experimental techniques, remote sensing, ultra-high sensitivity analytical techniques, astrophysical applications, etc. It is planned that the course will be offered multiple times, with topics and speakers varying with each offering. The lecturers for the upcoming quarter are listed below.

Each topic will be covered by lectures on Wednesday and Friday mornings, 8:00-9:18AM, NW2136, with a discussion period 8:30-9:30AM on Thursdays in Celeste 101.

Prerequisites: Chemistry 866 or Physics 780.04 or permission of the instructor

Required Text: None; suggested articles for reading will be supplied prior to the lecture on a given topic.

Syllabus:

* Spectroscopic Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics - flow tagging velocimetry, photo-activated fluorophores, engineering applications (Walter Lempert, OSU) (Jan. 7-9)

* Combustion Diagnostics - nonlinear spectroscopy, degenerate four-wave mixing, applications to combustion. (Eric Rohlfing, Sandia National Labs) (Jan. 21-23)

* Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy - Fundamental theory, laser linewidth consideration, practical applications (Kevin Lehmann, Princeton) (Jan. 28-30)

* Application of Group Theory to Molecular Spectra - Appropriate groups, possible operators, non-rigid molecules (Jon Hougen, NIST) (Feb. 18-20)

* Astrophysical Applications of Molecular Spectroscopy - Molecules in space, observational techniques, implications for cosmology (Pat Thaddeus, Harvard-Smithsonian Center) (Feb. 25-27)

* Remote Sensing of Physiological and Pollutant Molecules - IR laser applications, photoacoustic spectroscopy; human and other biological applications (Wolfgang Urban, University of Bonn) (March 4-6)

Grading: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory options: Class attendance and participation

Letter grade option: Class attendance and participation plus term paper

(Grades will be assigned solely by OSU faculty.)

Call number: 18117-2 (S/U option)

18115-1 (letter grade option)