Biological and Chemical Physics Commons^™

Single Fluorogens And Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Quantifying Chemical And Biomolecular Dynamics At The Nanoscale, Yiyang Chen, Yuanxin Qiu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Many chemical systems look uniform only because ensemble measurements average over their most interesting molecules. Electron-transfer rates vary across electrode surfaces; lipid membranes contain nanodomains with distinct packing and fluidity; peptide aggregates exhibit local polymorphism; and biomolecular condensates contain transient networks of interactions that are blurred in ensemble images. A central challenge in chemical imaging is not simply to see smaller structures, but to measure chemical variables such as polarity, redox potential, and molecular confinement at the single-molecule level. In this Account, we describe how fluorogens, molecules whose brightness, blinking, spectral shifts, orientation, rotational mobility, and motion are directly shaped …

Computational Insights Into Nucleosome Dynamics In Epigenetics Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Rutika Patel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nucleosome core particles (NCP) are the building blocks that form a highly organized and compact chromatin structure. Nucleosomes package DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. The NCP consists of about 147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around the histone octamer, with 1.65 superhelical turns in a left-handed manner. The histone octamer is composed of two copies of H3, H4, H2A, and H2B. Together with histone H1 and linker DNA, they further assemble into a higher-order chromatin structure. The nucleosome complex is stabilized by electrostatic interactions between positively charged histone residues and the negatively charged DNA backbone. To effectively access …

Computational-Experimental Synergy As A Predictive And Interpretive Tool Through Metal-Organic Framework Investigations, Cristian Sayers

Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In the search for tunable materials platforms capable of addressing both clean energy conversion and viable post-combustion carbon capture, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a uniquely versatile class of porous solids offering high specific surface area, structural tunability, and chemically addressable metal nodes and organic linkers. Realizing their potential requires understanding behavior that spans atomic-scale electronic structure and bulk-scale property response, a regime in which neither computation nor experiment alone is sufficient. This work attempts to develop a tighter integration between density functional theory (DFT) and laboratory investigation, treating the two modalities as mutually informing probes of the same …

Taking A Deeper Look: Attributing Tonal Values Of Photolumens To Their Emulsions Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Anna M. Moore

All Theses

This thesis examines whether tonal variation in photolumens made with historic silver gelatin photographic papers can be linked to differences in elemental composition. Photolumens are cameraless photographic images created by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to ultraviolet light. Because expired and historic darkroom papers often produce unpredictable colors and tones, this study asks whether visually defined tonal groups also show measurable chemical differences.

Twenty historic paper samples were exposed, documented, and sorted into five tonal groups based on visible image characteristics. Each sample was then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) …

Membrane Organization Of Rheb And Rhoa: Roles In Function And Allosteric Druggability, Chase M. Hutchins

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Small GTPases of the Ras superfamily are membrane-bound molecular switches that regulate nearly all major cellular processes, and their dysregulation drives cancers, neurological disorders, and metabolic diseases. While anchored to cellular membranes, the catalytic domains of small GTPases undergo orientation dynamics, adopting distinct configurations that can occlude or expose effector-binding surfaces and modulate signaling output. These dynamics have been characterized in the Ras oncoproteins, but whether they extend across the superfamily and influence allosteric druggability has remained unknown.

In this dissertation, I address these questions through Rheb and RhoA, two small GTPases with complementary differences in subfamily lineage, membrane localization, …

Absolute Quantification And Identification Of Rna From Rna-Lipid Nanoparticles Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Jason C. Funderburk

Theses and Dissertations

RNA therapeutics are a rising drug category with potential use for a range of conditions encompassing infectious diseases to therapies for cancer, diseases, and genetic disorders. RNA-lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) are the prominent delivery method for these therapeutics approved products include mRNA vaccines and polyneuropathy treatments. The emergency use authorizations and orphan drug status of current RNA-LNP drugs has allowed approval without finalization of the regulatory analytical procedures for quality monitoring. The objective of the study was to develop an LC-MS assay to simultaneously measure identity and concentration of two therapeutically relevant intact RNA constructs extracted from RNA-LNPs to enhance quality …

Low-Cost Cutaneous Protoporphyrin Ix (Ppix) Detection (Cpd) Device For Follow-Up Monitoring Of Patients After Photodynamic Therapy, Md Asaduzzaman Rasel

Graduate Masters Theses

Background: Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) utilizes specific wavelengths of light to activate photosensitizing chemical compounds, known as photosensitizers, which induce the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the targeted destruction of cancer cells. Among various photosensitizers for PDT, Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is widely employed in oncology and dermatology due to its natural in situ generation via the metabolic conversion of 5- aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a non-phototoxic prodrug. Systemic administration of ALA after 3-6 hr drug delay leads to peak PpIX accumulation in tissues, facilitating therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, PpIX can persist in the skin for 24–48 hours post-treatment, …

2d Cuo/Rgo Nanocomposite: A Novel Architecture For Enhanced Cr(Vi) Photo-Reduction, Islam Gomaa, Nasser M. Hosny, Medhat A. Ibrahim

Nanotechnology Research Centre

he urgent need for efficient detoxification of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in aquatic environments has driven the development of advanced photocatalytic materials. This study presents the synthesis of 2D CuO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite via probe sonication, designed to synergistically enhance the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III). The nanocomposite was meticulously characterized using XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, XPS, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Structural analysis confirmed the formation of CuO nanosheets (average size: 396 nm, thickness: 6 nm) integrated with rGO, where the rGO acted as an electron acceptor, mitigating charge recombination. XPS revealed Cu²⁺ in CuO and …

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Dynamics Of Pyrazole-Litfsi Eutectic Solvents As Promising Electrolytes, Emilia Pelegano-Titmuss, Giselle De Araujo Lima E Souza, Muhammad Zulqarnain, Ramez Elgammal, Thomas Zawodzinski, Steven Greenbaum

Undergraduate Research

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising candidates to replace conventional organic solvents in various technological applications due to their low vapor pressure, non-flammability, and ease of preparation at low costs. In particular, Type IV DESs, which are composed of metal salts and hydrogen bond donors, are possible replacements for lithium-ion battery electrolytes due to their potential of having high lithium transference numbers. In this study, we investigated solvents of Pyrazole and LiTFSI at varying molar ratios using Fast Field Cycling (FFC) NMR Relaxometry. Notably, the 1:2 LiTFSI: Pyrazole sample shows distinct behavior, exhibiting enhanced relaxation rates for ^{1 …}

A Catalytic Pathway For The Formation Of Cyanobenzene In Nitrogen-Rich Environments And The Spectroscopy Of The Reactive Intermediates, Vincent J. Esposito, Silvia Alessandrini, David Dubois, Ryan Fortenberry

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The catalytic reaction of isocyanobenzene (C₆H₅NC) with NCN⁻ produces cyanobenzene (C₆H₅NC) through various highly stable reactive intermediate species. Nitrogen-rich environments such as Titan’s atmosphere serve as favorable locations to study reaction pathways involving nitrogenated species contributing to organic growth. Formation pathways of cyanobenzene have been characterized, but none with the contribution of anions or phenyl groups. In regions with a high abundance of nitrogen anions, such as Titan’s atmosphere, reactions with species such as NCN⁻ may play a role in the formation of cyanobenzene. Highly accurate computational methods are used …

Infrared Cooling In An Anharmonic Cascade Framework: 2-Cyanoindene, The Smallest Cyano-Pah Identified In Tmc-1, Mark H. Stockett, Vincent J. Esposito, Eleanor K. Ashworth, Ugo Jacovella, James N. Bull

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Infrared (IR) cooling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules is a major radiative stabilization mechanism of PAHs present in space and is the origin of the aromatic infrared bands (AIBs). Here, we report an anharmonic cascade model in a master equation framework to model IR emission rates and emission spectra of energized PAHs as a function of internal energy. The underlying (simple harmonic cascade) framework for fundamental vibrations has been developed through the modeling of cooling rates of PAH cations and other carboneaous ions measured in electrostatic ion storage ring experiments performed under “molecular cloud in a box” conditions. The …

Novel Alchemical Methodologies For Modeling Molecular Binding, Solmaz Azimi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Molecular recognition is fundamental to all biological and biochemical processes. Understanding the interactions between molecules is the foundation for drug discovery and development, for understanding biological processes, and for the design of biosensors and nanomaterials. There is tremendous interest in the development of computer models to predict molecular association equilibria. In structure-based drug discovery enterprises, predicting the strength and selectivity of a small molecule to a biological target can advance target identification, aid ligand design, and accelerate high-throughput screening of drug compounds. This work focuses on free energy models, a class of computational methodologies grounded on the fundamental physical and …

A Sensitivity Analysis Of The Modeling Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission In Galaxies, A. Maragkoudakis, C. Boersma, P. Temi, J. D. Bregman, L. J. Allamandola, Vincent J. Esposito, A. Ricca, E. Peeters

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We have conducted a sensitivity analysis on the mid-infrared spectral decomposition of galaxies and the modeling of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission spectrum with the NASA Ames PAH Infrared Spectroscopic Database (PAHdb) to assess the variance on the average galaxy PAH population properties under a grid of different modeling parameters. We find that the short-low and short-low+long-low Spitzer-IRS decomposition with PAHFIT provides consistent modeling and recovery of the 5–15 μm PAH emission spectrum. For PAHdb modeling, application of a redshift to the calculated spectra to account for anharmonic effects introduces a 15%–20% variance on the derived parameters, while its …

Photolysis And Sublimation Chemistry Of Ammonium Cyanide With Relevance To Cometary Environments, O. H. Wilkins, K. M. Yocum, Vincent J. Esposito, E. Harel, S. N. Milam, P. A. Gerakines

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Bulk nitrogen is depleted in solar system objects, including the terrestrial planets, chondritic meteorites, and comets. Recently, it was suggested that cometary nitrogen may be locked up in ammonium salts—ionic solids comprising ammonia (NH₃) and an acid such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN)—based on Rosetta/ROSINA data from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimanko. Among the proposed salts to have been found in 67P were ammonium cyanide (NH₄CN) and ammonium cyanate (NH₄OCN), which were inferred from identifying HCN, cyanamide (NH₂CN), and isocyanic acid (HNCO) in the mass spectrometry data collected in the coma of 67P. However, the relationship …

Impact Of Y-Mixer Geometry And Flow Rate Modulation On Chemical Gradient Generators In Microfluidic Devices, Elizabeth Thurston Hutton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Various microfluidic structures are devised to generate tunable, stable spatiotemporal chemical gradients for single-cell studies. This work addresses the role of Y-mixer junctions in generating nonlinear gradients by increasing the width of one arm (bias), which is suspected to cause premature diffusion within the mixer. This study introduced a cinching feature to narrow the wider arm locally and redefine the junctions of these biased Y-mixers using four novel geometries defined by a 5-micrometer drawing rule. Furthermore, three flow rate factors allowed us to explore the impact on the generated gradient landscapes. The results showed that the four novel designs similarly …

Structural Optimization And Stability Enhancement Of Uba(2) And Ntl9 Using The Computational Tool: Emcast, Bahar Ghazi Esfahani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study enhances protein stability prediction by refining EmCAST (Empirical C-Alpha Stability Tool), a computational tool used to identify stabilizing mutations in protein domains. We applied EmCAST to two model proteins: the α-helical ubiquitin-associated domain 2 (UBA(2)) and the α/β N-terminal domain of ribosomal protein L9 (NTL9). Protein stability is critical for proper function, and mutations can lead to misfolding and disease. To validate EmCAST’s predictions, guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation was monitored using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy for both wild-type and mutant variants. Results guided refinements to EmCAST’s algorithm, incorporating new experimental datasets to improve accuracy. Additionally, we examined the assumption …

Interactions Of The Sars-Cov-2 Viral Genome 3’-Untranslated Region With Viral And Host Rnas, Caleb Frye, Mihaela Rita Mihailescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the characterization of RNA-RNA interactions within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome and with host microRNAs. As the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly since its appearance. This has warranted prompt characterization of the virus particularly of its single stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome. By using a combination of bioinformatics, biophysics, and/or biological assays, we analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 viral genomic RNA and uncovered interactions of genomic RNA with host RNAs, highlighting an underutilized method of targeting RNA viruses. We showed here that the conserved elements in the viral genomic …

Vibrational And Electronic Spectroscopy Of 2-Cyanoindene Cations, Thomas E. Douglas-Walker, Eleanor K. Ashworth, Mark H. Stockett, Francis C. Daly, Isabelle Chambrier, Vincent J. Esposito, Marius Gerlach, Angel Zheng, Julianna Palotás, Andrew N. Cammidge, Ewen K. Campbell, Sandra BrüNken, James N. Bull

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

2-Cyanoindene is one of the few specific aromatic or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules positively identified in Taurus molecular cloud-1 (TMC-1), a cold, dense molecular cloud that is considered the nearest star-forming region to Earth. We report cryogenic mid-infrared (550–3200 cm^–1) and visible (16,500–20,000 cm^–1, over the D2 ← D0 electronic transition) spectra of 2-cyanoindene radical cations (2CNI⁺), measured using messenger tagging (He and Ne) photodissociation spectroscopy. The infrared spectra reveal the prominence of anharmonic couplings, particularly over the fingerprint region. There is a strong CN-stretching mode at 2177 ± 1 cm^–1 (4.593 …

Battle Of The Ch Motions: Aliphatic Vs Aromatic Contributions To Astronomical Pah Emission And Exploration Of The Aliphatic, Aromatic, And Ethynyl Ch Stretches, Vincent J. Esposito, Salma Bejaoui, Brant E. Billinghurst, Christiaan Boersma, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Farid Salama

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Strong anharmonic coupling between vibrational states in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) produces highly mixed vibrational transitions that challenge the current understanding of the nature of the astronomical mid-infrared PAH emission bands. Traditionally, PAH emission bands have been characterized as either aromatic or aliphatic, and this assignment is used to determine the fraction of aliphatic carbon in astronomical sources. In reality, each of the transitions previously utilized for such an attribution is highly mixed with contributions from both aliphatic and aromatic CH motions as well as non-CH motions such as CC stretches. High-resolution gas-phase IR absorption measurements of the spectra of …

On The Formation And Detectability Of H2Cncn And Its Progenitors, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Vincent J. Esposito

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

New highly exothermic formation pathways incorporating both thermodynamic and kinetic control for the newly astronomically detected H₂CNCN molecule are paired with extremely accurate quantum chemical rovibrational spectroscopic computations. The reactions between astronomically known CH₂CN/CH₂CCH + HNCN follow effectively identical pathways and proceed through stable intermediates and over deeply submerged transition states to form H₂CNCN and HCN/HCCH coproducts. Similarly, the reaction between CHM₂CN and NCN⁻ can also form H₂CNCN, although this pathway first requires the initial formation of NCN⁻, which is currently undetected in space, via …

Experimental Determination Of The Unusual Ch Stretch Frequency Of Protonated Fullerenes, Laura Finazzi, Vincent J. Esposito, Julianna Palotás, Jonathan Martens, Els Peeters, Jan Cami, Giel Berden, Jos Oomens

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We report experimental values for the CH stretch frequencies of the protonated fullerenes C₆₀H⁺ and C₇₀H⁺. Anharmonic frequency calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G level of theory, which are independent of empirical scaling factors, reproduce the experimental values to within approximately 5 cm⁻¹. Scaling theoretical harmonic frequencies by applying factors derived for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons deviate significantly from the experimentally measured frequency. We attribute this deviation to the unusual hydrocarbon structure that affects the degree of anharmonicity of the CH stretch. This result allows us to propose an original, specific scaling factor of …

Fundamental Limits In Measuring The Anisotropic Rotational Diffusion Of Single Molecules, Weiyan Zhou, Tingting Wu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Many biophysical techniques, such as single-molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer, and fluorescence anisotropy, measure the translation and rotation of biomolecules to quantify molecular processes at the nanoscale. These methods often simplify data analysis by assuming isotropic rotational diffusion, e.g., that molecules wobble within a circular cone. This simplification ignores the anisotropy present in many biological contexts that may cause molecules to exhibit different degrees of diffusion in different directions. Here, we loosen this assumption and establish a theoretical framework for describing and measuring anisotropic rotational diffusion using fluorescence imaging. We show that anisotropic wobble is directly quantified …

Assigning The Ch Stretch Overtone Spectrum Of Benzene And Naphthalene With Extension To Anthracene And Tetracene Using 2- And 3-Quanta Anharmonic Quantum Chemical Computations, Vincent J. Esposito, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Christiaan Boersma, Louis J. Allamandola

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The CH stretch overtone region (5750–6300 cm⁻¹) of benzene and naphthalene is assigned herein using anharmonic quantum chemical computations, and the trend of how this extends to larger polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is established. The assignment of all experimental bands to specific vibrational states is performed for the first time. Resonance polyads and the inclusion of 3-quanta vibrational states are both needed to compute accurate vibrational frequencies with the proper density-of-states to match the experimental band shape. Hundreds of 3-quanta states produce the observed band structure in naphthalene, anthracene, and tetracene, and this number is expected to increase …

Positron Emission Tomography In Oncology And Environmental Science, Samantha Delaney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The last half century has played witness to the onset of molecular imaging for the clinical assessment of physiological targets. While several medical imaging modalities allow for the visualization of the functional and anatomical properties of humans and living systems, few offer accurate quantitation and the ability to detect biochemical processes with low-administered drug mass doses. This limits how physicians and scientists may diagnose and treat medical issues, such as cancer, disease, and foreign agents.

A promising alternative to extant invasive procedures and suboptimal imaging modalities to assess the nature of a biological environment is the use of positron emission …

Cn Stretches Around 4.4 Microns Dominate The Ir Absorption Spectra Of Cyanopolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Vincent J. Esposito, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Christiaan Boersma, Alexandros Maragkoudakis, Louis J. Allamandola

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Anharmonic quantum chemical computations reveal a strong, narrow (width = 0.075 μm) band in the 4.3–4.5 μm region of the absorption spectra of the cyano-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CN-PAHs) cyanonaphthalene, cyanoanthracene, c yanophenanthrene, and c yanopyrene. This narro w windo w with intense IR lines implies that CN-PAHs of various shapes and sizes offer little variation in both wavelength and intensity in this region. Subsequently, this band can be used as a tracer for CN-PAHs. The distinct features making up the band are assigned to mixed vibrational states consisting of the CN stretch fundamental and various combination bands, including in-plane …

Electrochemical Modulation Of Surface Plasmon Wave To Investigate Dna-Based Sensing Platforms And Detection Of Sars-Cov2., Anil Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study offers a thorough comparative analysis of optical and electrical signaling strategies for assessing the electrochemical properties of different redox-labeled DNA-based biosensing platforms. In addition, it illustrates the development of an optical interrogation technique with electrochemical modulation of surface plasmon waves (ECM-SPW) as a route for analyzing and implementing DNA-based hybridization sensors. For those quantitative analyses, we chose a model sensing platform composed of a methylene blue (MB)-modified single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) signaling probe and an unlabeled capture ssDNA probe that complements the signaling probe. Two types of signaling probes were employed in this work: one with MB attached to …

The Infrared Absorption Spectrum Of Phenylacetylene And Its Deuterated Isotopologue In The Mid- To Far-Ir, Vincent J. Esposito, Pierro Ferrari, Wybren Jan Buma, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Christiaan Boersma, Alessandra Candian, Alexander G. G. M. Tielens

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Anharmonicity strongly influences the absorption and emission spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. Here, IR–UV ion-dip spectroscopy experiments together with detailed anharmonic computations reveal the presence of fundamental, overtone, as well as 2- and 3-quanta combination band transitions in the far- and mid-infrared absorption spectra of phenylacetylene and its singly deuterated isotopologue. Strong absorption features in the 400–900 cm⁻¹ range originate from CH(D) in-plane and out-of-plane wags and bends, as well as bending motions including the C≡C and CH bonds of the acetylene substituent and the aromatic ring. For phenylacetylene, every absorption feature is assigned either directly or …

Toward The Ir Detection Of Carbon Acid: Absorption And Emission Spectrum, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Vincent J. Esposito

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

With the recent radioastronomical detection of cis-trans-carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) in a molecular cloud toward the Galactic center, the more stable but currently unobserved cis-cis conformer is shown here to have strong IR features. While the higher-energy cis-trans-carbonic acid was detected at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths, owing to its larger dipole moment, the vibrational structure of cis-cis-carbonic acid is more amenable to its observation at micron wavelengths. Even so, both conformers have relatively large IR intensities, and some of these fall in regions not dominated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Water features may inhibit observation …

Spiral Wave Teleportation And Multiplex Network Synchronization In Light Sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky Systems, Shannyn Alicia Tyler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We experimentally and computationally investigate dynamical behaviors in excitable and oscillatory media using light sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) systems. These systems are not in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, and have been proven to show various interesting phenomena including spatiotemporal patterns, self-organization, and chaos. We utilize the BZ reaction, a nonlinear chemical reaction, known for its relaxation-type oscillations, to explore the dynamics of these systems.

We examine spiral wave teleportation in an excitable media as an effective alternate defibrillation method. Spiral waves have emerged as a key phenomenon associated with the initiation and persistence of cardiac arrhythmias. Using a light sensitive …

Transient Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy For Measuring Collisional Quenching Rates Of Co And Its Potential For Studying H2o, Jordan M. Polvere

Master’s Theses

Motivated by the necessity of non-LTE models that account for species that are not in Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) in Titan’s and Earth’s atmospheres, collisional quenching rates of CO and H2O_(g) have been studied. Providing more accurate and precise values of collisional quenching rate coefficients is crucial in the development of more advanced atmospheric models, which are important to fields of science such as meteorology and astronomy. Rates of collisional quenching of CO(v=1,2) by CO and CO(v=2) by N₂ at approximately 301-321 K were measured by transient diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The rate coefficients of CO(v=1)-CO, CO(v=2)-CO, and …