Descripción del proyecto
Una configuración revolucionaria abre la puerta a pruebas experimentales de comportamientos tan solo predichos hasta ahora
La capacidad de controlar las variables experimentales de una forma fiable y repetible es fundamental para el método científico a fin de poder dilucidar fehacientemente los parámetros que afectan a la variable observada. Imagine que ni tan siquiera pudiera comenzar a considerar estos parámetros porque carece de un método exacto para «crear» el fenómeno que quiere estudiar. Este ha sido el caso del estudio de las reacciones radicalarias en fase gaseosa. En el proyecto RadiCool, financiado con fondos europeos, se está desarrollando una técnica para crear de forma fiable un haz puro de radicales con propiedades modulables. El paradigma experimental resultante ayudará a mejorar notablemente la comprensión de la dinámica de reacción y a aumentar la precisión de los modelos para las teorías subyacentes que, a día de hoy, no pueden corroborarse fácilmente.
Objetivo
Radicals are paramagnetic species – atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron – and they are prevalent in gas-phase environments such as the atmosphere, combustion systems and the interstellar medium. In spite of their real-world importance, very few experimental methods can be applied to the precise study of gas-phase radical reactions. This is primarily due to the significant challenges associated with such studies; there are no established methods for generating a pure beam of atomic or molecular gas-phase radicals with tuneable properties. In this proposal, I provide a solution. I will develop a versatile and innovative “magnetic guide”, for the generation of a pure and state-selected beam of radicals. The magnetic guide will feature a series of specially-designed permanent magnets (Halbach arrays) and skimming blades. It will act as a stand-alone device, producing a pure beam of radicals with continuously tuneable velocity from an effusive mixture (containing radicals, precursor molecules and seed gases). The magnetic guide will be combined with two existing experiments – an ion trap and a liquid-surface set-up – and will enable us to study ion-radical and radical-liquid surface interactions with unprecedented control and precision. We will examine important gas-phase reactions involving radicals in isolation (i.e. without competing side reactions) for the first time. Our measurements will provide the missing experimental data needed to improve the accuracy of (for example) complex atmospheric chemistry models – replacing untested predictions from capture theory calculations.
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitución de acogida
L69 7ZX Liverpool
Reino Unido