Free Radical Chemistry in Air and Space: Lab Studies with Combs, Cavities, and Jets

Event time: 
April 18, 2024 - 4:00pm
Location: 
Sterling Chemical Lab (SCL), Room 160 See map
Event description: 

Please join Yale Chemistry for a Chupka lecture in Physical/Biophysical Chemistry with Mitchio Okumura, Professor of Chemical Physics, California Institute of Technology.

The Okumura Group is interested in the application of laser spectroscopy and reaction dynamics to problems in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. They study atmospheric free radicals and transient intermediates in order to understand the reactions and photochemistry that are most important in the troposphere and stratosphere, as well as in planetary atmospheres such as those of Mars and Titan. Their goal is both to determine parameters of key reactions and species in the atmosphere, and to understand the chemical physics of these processes at the most fundamental level. To achieve high sensitivities required for these experiments, the Okumura Group develops and applies state-of-the-art methods such as cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, frequency comb lasers, and VUV mass spectrometry using synchrotron radiation. They also apply high resolution spectroscopy for measuring spectroscopic parameters needed for the latest generation of CO2 satellites. The Okumura Group has extensive collaborations with scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

More information on Professor Okumura’s research can be found here: Okumura Group

Hosted by Professor Mark Johnson.

This seminar can be viewed here: Panopto