Experimental study of reactions involving astrophysically relevant ions

Student: Dumitru Stefania-Marimar
Supervisor: RNDr. Petr Dohnal, Ph.D.
Consultant: Doc. RNDr. Radek Plašil, Ph.D.
Stav práce:

Abstract:

Low-temperature plasma is found in the solar system, interstellar gas clouds, the ionosphere of Earth and the planets of the solar system, and is used in plasma technologies. Studying the reactions of simple ions with molecules and electrons in low-temperature plasma enables a deeper understanding of chemical processes, for example, in interstellar gas clouds and the atmospheres of gas giants. The study of reactions of deuterated molecules at low temperatures is particularly important. This study also provides feedback for quantum mechanical calculations and makes it possible to interpret the latest knowledge obtained through astronomical observations. Plasma parameters (translational, rotational and vibrational temperature of ions, their concentration, etc.) can vary by many orders of magnitude, and a wide range of diagnostic techniques are used to determine them. The subject of the thesis will be the study of the reactions of simple molecular ions with electrons or neutrals. Student will gain experience with a highly sensitive low-temperature plasma diagnostic method: Cavity Ring-Down optical spectroscopy and with 22-pole radiofrequency ion trapping technique.

Tasks

1) Studying the literature and becoming familiar with the principles of diagnostic methods used in the laboratory. 2) Participation on experiment. 3) Study of the reactions of simple astrophysically important molecular ions (e.g. HCO+, HCNH+) with electrons or molecules. 4) Evaluation of measured data and their comparison with theory.

Literature

[1] Hutchinson I.H., Principles of Plasma Diagnostics, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-521-80389-6. [2] P. F. Bernath, Spectra of Atoms and Molecules, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN-13 978-0-19-517759-6. [3] G. Berden, R. Engeln, Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy: Techniques and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN: 9781405176880. [4] Larsson M. and Orel A., Dissociative Recombination of Molecular Ions, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2008, ISBN 978-0-521-82819-2. [5] Other literature as agreed with the supervisor.