Electron Collisions – Experiment, Theory, and Applications
Physics Colloquium
3:30 pm
Jorgensen Hall Room: 136
PRESENTED BY Klaus Bartschat, Drake University
Electron collisions with atoms, ions, and molecules represent one of the very early topics of quantum mechanics. In spite of the field’s maturity, a number of recent developments in detector technology (e.g., the “reaction micro-scope” or the “magnetic-angle changer”) and the rapid increase in computa-tional resources have resulted in significant progress in the measurement, understanding, and theoretical/computational description of few-body Cou-lomb problems. Close collaborations between experimentalists and theorists worldwide continue to produce high-quality benchmark data, which allow for thoroughly testing and further developing a variety of theoretical approach-es. As a result, it has now become possible to reliably calculate the vast amount of atomic data needed for detailed modeling of the physics and chemistry of planetary atmospheres, the interpretation of astrophysical data, optimizing the energy transport in reactive plasmas, and many other topics – including light-driven processes, in which electrons are produced by continu-ous or short-pulse ultra-intense electromagnetic radiation.
In this talk, I will highlight some of the recent developments that have had a major impact on the field. This will be followed by showcasing examples, in which accurate electron collision data enabled applications in fields beyond traditional AMO physics. Finally, open problems and challenges for the future will be outlined.
*This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grants No. PHY-1403245 and PHY-1520970, and by the XSEDE supercomputer allocation PHY-090031.
Bio: Klaus Bartschat received his Masters degree in Experimental Atomic Physics and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Atomic Physics from the University of Münster (Germany). Since 1988 he has been a faculty member at Drake University in Des Moines (Iowa), where he currently is the Ellis & Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Physics. While collaborating with many experimental and theoretical groups in North America, Europe, and Australia, Bartschat has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers in professional journals, as well 12 review articles, 2 books, and numerous further book contributions. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was awarded the 2016 Will Allis Prize for the Study of Ionized Gases.
Electron collisions with atoms, ions, and molecules represent one of the very early topics of quantum mechanics. In spite of the field’s maturity, a number of recent developments in detector technology (e.g., the “reaction micro-scope” or the “magnetic-angle changer”) and the rapid increase in computa-tional resources have resulted in significant progress in the measurement, understanding, and theoretical/computational description of few-body Cou-lomb problems. Close collaborations between experimentalists and theorists worldwide continue to produce high-quality benchmark data, which allow for thoroughly testing and further developing a variety of theoretical approach-es. As a result, it has now become possible to reliably calculate the vast amount of atomic data needed for detailed modeling of the physics and chemistry of planetary atmospheres, the interpretation of astrophysical data, optimizing the energy transport in reactive plasmas, and many other topics – including light-driven processes, in which electrons are produced by continu-ous or short-pulse ultra-intense electromagnetic radiation.
In this talk, I will highlight some of the recent developments that have had a major impact on the field. This will be followed by showcasing examples, in which accurate electron collision data enabled applications in fields beyond traditional AMO physics. Finally, open problems and challenges for the future will be outlined.
*This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grants No. PHY-1403245 and PHY-1520970, and by the XSEDE supercomputer allocation PHY-090031.
Bio: Klaus Bartschat received his Masters degree in Experimental Atomic Physics and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Atomic Physics from the University of Münster (Germany). Since 1988 he has been a faculty member at Drake University in Des Moines (Iowa), where he currently is the Ellis & Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Physics. While collaborating with many experimental and theoretical groups in North America, Europe, and Australia, Bartschat has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers in professional journals, as well 12 review articles, 2 books, and numerous further book contributions. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was awarded the 2016 Will Allis Prize for the Study of Ionized Gases.