New NSFCRC project: starts 10012006 5 years

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New NSF-CRC project starts 10/01/2006 (5
years) Chemistry of unsaturated hydrocarbons in
Titans atmosphere
The primary goals of this research are to
understand the formation and growth mecha- nisms
of unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules in low
temperature environments and to comprehend the
hydrocarbon chemistry in the atmosphere of
Saturns moon Titan. The implications to the
chemistry of Titan help understanding the origin
and chemical evolution of the Solar System, to
reconstruct the scene of the primordial
terrestrial atmo- sphere since Titan and
proto-Earth have emerged with similar atmospheres
from the Solar Nebula. Theoretical studies of
the reactions of build-up of complex
hydrocarbons C2H H(C?C)nH ? H(C?C)n1H H
CN H(C?C)nH ? H(C?C)nCN H are
combined with experimental studies in crossed
molecular beams (U. of Hawaii), of their
photodissociation (Wayne State U.), and low
temperature kinetics (U. Rennes, France).