School of Physics

Experimental Quantum Dynamics Research Group

http://www.physics.uwa.edu.au/about/research/dynamical

Group Overview and Core Activities

The core research activities of the Experimental Quantum Dynamics Group (EQD) concern the interaction of photons and electrons with gas phase atoms and molecules. To achieve these studies groundbreaking technology has been invented and is in the process of development. In summary:

  • Photon Impact Experiments at Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser Light Sources:

     - Sub-picosecond time domain measurements of photoelectrons and sub-     nanosecond time domain measurements of photoions.

  • Electron Impact Experiments in the UWA laboratory:

    - Sub-nanosecond time domain measurements of auto-detached electrons and ion fragments arising in sub-nanosecond pulsed electron impact experiments

    - Experiments utilising stored charged particles in a novel, low kinetic energy, charged particle Recycling Spectrometer (RS).

Strong research collaborations exist between the Experimental Quantum Dynamics Group and:

  • Dr Timothy Reddish, University of Windsor, Canada where the prototype Electron RS (ERS) invented by Hammond in 1998, and jointly designed, is located. [see (b)(ii) above

  • Dr Kevin Prince (VUV & Soft X-ray Group, Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy) and Dr Lorenzo Avaldi (IMAI de CNR, Rome, Italy) for the photon impact experiments [see (a) above]

These strong collaborations are evidenced through the recently awarded ARC Discovery Project for 2008-2010 (DP) “Sub-Picosecond Studies of Matter using Intense Light from a Free Electron Laser” in which Hammond is CI and Reddish, Prince and Avaldi are PI’s.  In addition the EQD group was invited to be a member of the European consortium ULiSSE tasked with the design and development of new detector technology for novel experiments at the FERMI Free Electron Laser Source (under-construction)

The Experimental Quantum Dynamics Group is a member of CAMSP [Centre for Atomic, Molecular and Surface Physics – a centre with personnel at Murdoch University and UWA]. The group is collaborating with the UWA Atom/Spin Group in the organisation of the 8th Asia-Pacific International Symposium on the Physics of Atoms and Molecules to be held in Perth in November 2008.

Core Membership

Peter Hammond