There will be a reception in the h-bar following the talk.
Abstract:
A diversity of experimental techniques has been developed over the last 25 years to create samples of molecular gases at temperatures close to the Absolute Zero - from 10s of Kelvin (‘cold’) down to 10s of nanoKelvin (‘ultracold’). In these exotic physical environments, a range of novel experiments can be conducted, including studies of molecular collisions and reactions, that utilise the high levels of control over the properties of the low-kinetic-energy molecules. In some cases, control and observation at a single-molecule level is achievable. This is a world where quantum effects become more visible in the kinetics and dynamics of collisional processes. In this talk, I will give a perspective on where the ‘cold and ultracold chemistry’ field stands currently, with examples from my own research in the field of cold ion-molecule collisions and from the work of others, and reflect on how we can make the connection of these studies to ‘real-world chemistry’.
Heazlewood BR, and Softley TP, 2021 ‘Towards chemistry at absolute zero’, Nature Reviews Chemistry 5, 125.
Softley TP, 2023 ‘Cold and ultracold molecules in the twenties’, Proceedings of the Royal Society A, In Press. DOI 10.1098/rspa.2022.0806 (when available).